


Bomber Blue, He Fell Down Too

by Gamsterbam



Category: Rockman | Mega Man Classic, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mild Language, Murder, Other, Suicide Attempt, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-05-31 00:46:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 36,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6448786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gamsterbam/pseuds/Gamsterbam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternate reality, the original Super Fighting Robot makes his way into the Underground alongside Frisk. Together, they will discover if they have what it takes to get the best possible ending for everyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Stall before the Fall

There was a time when Rock always remained on edge after the last schism with the mad doctor.

It had been a harrowing habit that his systems held onto when he bested the man. At first, he talked himself into thinking it  
was a good idea to stay alert at all times so he was always ready for a fight. It worked for a while, but it ended up hurting  
himself in the long run. Rock was thankful that he could look towards his creator and father, and his cheerful sister for  
guidance and character-building. His outlook on the situation changed from being on constant edge to relaxing until the  
time came for his helmet to come back on. Small, but a helpful change.

So when he was asked by Doctor Light to take a reprieve, the sudden aspect of change made his old habit almost rear its  
ugly head.

"A _vacation?_ " Rock exclaimed in the laboratory with his hands stretched out in surprise.

His father's snow-white beard rumbled as he chuckled from his synthetic son's response. He was still wearing his lab coat  
as he was working on a side-project, his eyes looking toward the boy. "Yes, Rock. I think it would be a nice idea, but the  
sound of your voice tells me you're not sure."

The robotic teenager ran a hand through his black spiky hair, his blue eyes in almost frantic thought. "I mean, it's not  
something I can really do! My job requires me at a moment's notice. I can't just take a week off, dad! Anything could happen  
while I'm loafing off at a beach or something. Wily could show up again after his robot virus fiasco, or a rampant Robot  
Master could go loose, or...or..."

"Rock."

The boy looked up from his panic to see his father had stopped working and was looking at him with a hint of worry in his  
eyes. Hands held out forward, he continued. "I can understand your concerns for others, but I think you haven't been giving  
yourself enough mental rest. You are a robot, yes, but you were programmed to be my son before you became Mega Man.  
Your constant focus on preparing for the next ordeal will eventually wear out your systems, and I don't want to see that  
happen. I won't force you to take a vacation, Rock. But please consider it."

The boy's features grew soft as he looked towards the doctor. His thinking grew more calm as he weighed his options, until  
he eventually sighed. Doctor Light was right; he was still keeping himself from proper relaxation. He supposes he could  
take a few days to refresh himself. With his mind made up, Rock made a small commitment. "Alright, I'll do it."

He could see the smile hidden behind his father's beard. "Thank you for listening, son. But, may I ask what you'll do?"

The robot pondered for a moment. "I think I'll take a walk by myself to the nearest city. The one near the mountain, I think?"

Light's smile faltered. "Mount Ebott?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Rock said, not noticing his father's expression. "Gives me something new to look forward to while I  
clear my head. Don't think I've ever walked around that mountain, or visited the city."

Light steered his eyes away for a moment. "Are you bringing your sister? Or Rush?"

The robot lifted his finger to his chin for extra pondering. "I think they're visiting Doctor Cossack while he's in town. They're  
probably having fun, so I don't wanna bother them."

The doctor managed to bring his smile back before Rock looked back to him for approval. "...Alright," he managed to say  
placidly. "I hope you enjoy your walk, but take something with you before you go. And be careful on the trail."

Rock made a wave before heading for the lab's door. "I'll grab an E-Tank. Thanks dad. See you this afternoon."

"See you soon."

The door closed behind the robot, and Doctor Light was left alone with his side project. The humming machines placated  
him as he went back to work. "Ebott..." he thought aloud, his lips tightening in a frown. There was a legend that people who  
climbed the mountain never returned, and it had a history of seemingly calling children to the maw near the top. He heard  
the stories told by the visitors from the other city when he was a teenager, but was never perturbed by it. He was a man of  
science after all; no time for superstition.

He still gave another look at the door before continuing.

__________

 

Golden brown leaves gently danced in the wind as the autumn morning drew on. Rock made a leisurely stroll through the  
quiet park at the foot of the massive mount, taking it all in with his programmed senses. He didn't need to hurry, he didn't  
need to be on the lookout. It was a nice change of pace that he slowly started to appreciate. He almost laughed at himself  
for thinking he couldn't afford a little "R and R" once in a while.

The neighbor city edged its way into view as Rock kept his walk placid. It would take a few hours to get there, so he started  
planning on what he could do next. It was his first visit, so he could probably check out the Main Street and the shops likely  
to be there. He could probably see if they had a zoo, or a historic sight with lots of old legends. Maybe even more Robot  
Masters he hasn't seen yet, that would be cool. The shuffling of leaves nearby made him focus on visiting the zoo first, the  
wild animals are always fun to--

The shuffling of leaves grew louder.

Normally when Rock heard a noise like that, he would immediately draw his Mega Buster and shout "Who's there!?" to the  
possible threat. But, as luck would have it, he was on vacation. So instead of jumping the gun, he simply stopped walking  
and looked toward the sound in question. And what he could see...

It was a small child, with a shaggy mess of dark brown hair, and a blue sweater with purple stripes, with blue pants and  
long black socks and little shoes. The child was walking up the mountain, their back towards the robot. They went deeper  
and deeper into the woods until Rock could no longer see them.

"Huh," the robot breathed.

Rock stood for a moment before he started walking towards where the kid went. He upped his pace as the climb became  
steep, a hint of worry beginning to surface. What was this little kid doing? Why are they alone? Where's their parents? And  
when was walking up a mountain a good idea for child activities? His paced quickened to a run, looking around for the kid  
as the deep forest of wood grew ever deeper. He almost wanted to shout to the kid, but thought better of it; it could  
probably scare them and make them start running.

His eyes focused on a shape he could make out in the mountain. It was a large opening to a cave, almost carved out of the  
rock like marble, with branches and roots flowing out from it. And then, he saw a quick shade of blue and purple eaten up  
by the mouth of it, and his worry increased. Oh, how it increased.

The robot decided finally to grow alert, and began sprinting to the opening in the mountainside. With his right hand, he  
clenched into his palm and worded in his breath, "Mega." His casual shirt and pants transformed into his blue and light-  
blue suit, his gauntlets on his forearms, and the helmet he was known for blipped on his head, and his boots replaced his  
shoes. As soon as his feet touched ground, he leaped into the cave and prepared himself for the worst.

The cave, surprisingly, was decently lit from a hole in the ceiling. But Rock was more focused by the gaping abyss in the  
floor. His previous worry climaxed to horror as he leaned over the edge, and...there it was. A small mound of purple and  
blue, barely lit by the skylight above. The robot's eyes widened in horrible realization to what this poor little kid just did.  
" _No..._ " the word echoed into the unforgiving silence of the cave, but it was all the robot could say in his state.

But then, his helmet beeped.

With a hesitance, Rock activated his helmet's sensors as he gazed his field of view to the dark below. The helmet scanned  
the body with speed and precision, and gave a green signal.

Wait, green?

The robot checked again, with baited breath. Yes, it was green. Relief entered his system as he continued scanning the  
area with fevered quickness. The child was still alive! The helmet scanned an unknown yellow flora that had cushioned the  
fall. The kid was most likely unconscious and hurt badly, so he had to move quick before the child succumbed to internal  
bleeding or worse.

Rock opened his left forearm to grab a distress beacon, and threw it out of the cave for a better signal. He would need to  
jump down to tend to the child's wounds as best as he can. He gave a silent thank you to his father for giving him first-aid  
programming, and fell into the chasm.

His vacation could wait.


	2. A kid who's Mild, A flower who's Wild

It was like any other time that the purple robed caretaker made her rounds through the equally purple hallways of the catacombs. Her pawed hands were becoming antsy; she was in the mood to make a pie today, and she wanted to hurry home as soon as she finished her check-up. She hummed a little tune as she trekked through the ancient puzzles in her way, giving time to make sure they were working properly. The last thing she wanted was a puzzle going off at the wrong time, and she didn't like the idea of anyone getting hurt.

 **CLANK**.

Her long floppy ears picked up the faintest echo of a loud metal thud. It was very out of place in these tunnels of stone. She shifted her head to listen for more, walking slower to quiet her footsteps. Minutes ticked by before she resumed her pace, the emotion of curiosity well spoken in her body language. She turned a corner and spotted a lonely Froggit staring in the small creek of water flowing nearby.

"Excuse me," she politely bowed as her gentle voice drew the monster's attention. "Did you also hear that noise?"

The Froggit answered with a ribbit, "Yes. Very strange. Perhaps it is from above."

She hummed in thought. "That is possible. But I do not believe that is the sound a human makes when they fall on the flowers."

The Froggit contemplated. "That's true," it replied. "Then perhaps it is trash haphazardly thrown in. You can never tell with..."

The frog-like monster ended its thought prematurely as the caretaker's face grew stern. Its eyes looked away as it silently whispered, "Sorry." The caretaker huffed with sad recollection before leaving the monster to their lonesome again. With a small effort, she hardened her resolve. An off-handed comment wasn't going to ruin her day, not a bit. She will check the flowers, and tend to whatever object made that sound. And then she will make a pie and enjoy herself. Her copper eyes sparked with a fire of confidence, and she strolled off to the atrium with purpose.

__________

  
Rock hadn't expected the child to be this lucky. The flowers below them had almost completely negated any harm. He couldn't see any wounds or cuts as he gently moved the kid's unconscious body to their side. He noticed the kid was gripping a wooden stick like a lifeline, and could see a dirty bandage on their right arm. The robot could make a guess at why the bandage would be there, but he couldn't bear the possibility that this kid's livelihood was bad enough for them to simply give up.

Yet, as he held their head and scanned their chest and stomach, bruises and burn marks spotted them in similar places, just consistent enough for the large sweater they wore to cover them. A familiar burn of righteous anger boiled through his systems, melting his want of refusal. _How **could** they_ , he thought. _This little kid must have went through hell, and for what reason? Did their_ parents _really treat them like this?_

" _...Why,_ " he spoke aloud. He knew that some humans weren't the greatest, but even his arch enemy treated his robots better than whoever hurt this kid. He gave an empty laugh at that thought; wow, he compared the mad doctor to some horrible parents. What a world. His anger dissolved into grim acceptance, his arms lifting the small child gently.

 _It won't be long now_ , he thought. _The signal should warn Doctor Light at any moment_.

As if on cue, his helmet crackled with the communication canal in his helmet's ear. "Rock! Rock! What happened?" His father's voice could be heard, albeit a little distortion.

"I'm alright, dad," the robot voiced. "I just need your help. There's a kid with me, and they're hurt. Please call Rush for me so I--"

"Rock? Speak up! I can't hear you!" His father's voice grew more worried. It wasn't helping the growing panic in his mind.

"Send. Rush. Please," the robot voiced louder. He could hear his father breath heavily in frustration.

"I still can't hear you, son! Alright...alright. Just...um...make a sound if you can hear me," his father said. Noises of a drawer being opened and paper crinkling were in the background.

Rock flicked his helmet. He could hear a short sigh of relief from the doctor. "Alright...that's good...that's good! Ok, are you hurt? One for yes, two for no."

Two flicks.

"Ok...is there someone with you?"

Flick.

"...Are _they_ hurt?"

Flick.

"Ok...alright. Is it a robot?"

Two flicks.

"Ok. I'll send Rush and medical supplies. I'm coming too. Don't worry, Rock. Please be careful."

The radio shut off. The robot exhaled a breath he forgot he was holding. With tenderness, he lay the child on the flowers and began observing his surroundings. In the darkness, there were somehow columns holding up the lower ceilings of the cave, and then he noticed that a hallway lead out further in the inky blackness. Wonder led his eyes to the rest of the cavern before he noticed just how designed it felt; this wasn't naturally formed. He and the kid had somehow stumbled on the remnants of an ancient civilization.

"Huh," the robot breathed for the second time that day.

A groan rose his attention back to the child in the flowerbed. Rock moved swiftly to them, crouching down and holding their hand. "Hey there. Don't be scared, I'm here to help, ok?" Their tiny eyes opened slightly with obvious delirium. They gripped their stick tighter in their other hand and tried to roll away. "Hey...c'mon, it's alright," he spoke softly, as non-threatening as possible. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

The kid gave a small noise of distress, not quite understanding what was going on. They curled into a ball, a mantra of "No" constantly shooting from their lips, pleading. The sight of it made Rock's synthetic heart feel like it was being squeezed. He needed to get them into proper consciousness. Slowly, carefully, he used his hands to cradle the child close, their pleading slowing down to dreamless sleep.

He wished he could let the poor kid rest, but he needed them awake; Rush's Jet configuration required awareness and control to everyone riding it. With his index finger, he lightly tapped the child's forehead. "Hey, little buddy. I need you to wake up, please?"

Their dark eyebrows moved the slightest smidgen, their mouth now put in a neutral expression. They slowly arched their head to Rock's, their mouth slightly open in question.

"...Who are you?"

The voice was like a hushed breeze over water. It was small, reserved. A hidden maturity lay below it, something Rock hadn't expected. But, the relief of finally being able to talk to the child made a genuine grin adorn his face.

"I'm Rock. I'm here to help."

__________

  
She was sure she could hear a voice. She was sure of it.

The acoustic nature of the ruins provided more than enough for those who listen. Conversations were seldom secret when held in the hallways. Curiosity led her feet faster to the last room. If that loud noise was indeed a fallen human, it would be best to guide them in this new world they fell into. A happy smile grew along her short snout; the want for baking pie had doubled over in her excitement. She simply couldn't wait!

To give lessons and learning, to teach about the ancient puzzles, snail facts, to read them stories before bed, to...

She shook her head before memories of old washed over her. _Focus on the here and now_ , she reminded herself. The final door entered her view. One last obstacle before she greeted the newest human. She stared on ahead, her left hand pulling down on the switch next to the door.

It wouldn't budge. She pulled harder. Not an inch.

Her attention halted, she glared to the infernal contraption. Why of all days would it be malfunctioning now?

The culprit almost snaked its way out. A long, thorny vine slithered out of her way, disappearing underneath the door. It was being held down!

"What in the world...?" Her irritated whisper gave way to fear. Was a monster planning to...

Oh. Oh, she forgot about that terrible little flower.

__________

  
Now that they were awake, the child seem more quiet. They were probably holding up a front to the robot; Rock was a stranger to them after all. He respected their personal space and decided to sit adjacent to them while he waited for help. They hadn't said anything besides asking who he was, rather they loosely handled the stick between fingers. The robot relaxed his shoulders and sat their for a few minutes before deciding to talk to them again.

"What's your name?" Rock asked.

The child had their attention on the stick. "...don't have one anymore. Threw it away."

Rock straightened a bit. "...Why?"

"Didn't want it. Didn't need it..." the child sighed. "But I guess I need one now."

Rock moved his head away but kept his eyes on them. "You weren't expecting to wake back up..."

The child looked up to him with a sad smile. "It's ok. I'll just...start over. New leaf." They poked at the little growth on the end of the stick.

Rock managed a chuckle at the joke. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. If it helps, I can be your friend through that."

Their dark eyebrows raised another smidgen. "...Really?" Skepticism. But, a small glimmer of hope.

Rock grinned. "Sure! Helping people is one of my favorite things to do. Speaking of, want help with a new name?"

The child shook their head. "I think I decided on one. How about...Fr--"

"Howdy!"

If Rock was still on vacation, he would have simply looked for the voice that came from nearby. But since his vacation was currently on a waiting list, he decided to do what he usually does.

The robot shot up like a bullet, immediately putting himself in front of the surprised child. His left arm shifted into his Mega Buster, fierceness and tenacity erupting from his system. "Who's there!?" He sharply demanded to the voice in the dark.

A few feet from his cannon, a flower with the simplest face in the world suddenly sprouted from the cracks in the floor. "Golly, friend! Didn't mean to scare you like that!"

It's voice was cheerful, confident. Completely calm, happy-go-lucky. No fear, no tension. No... _care_.

Rock's guard held firm. A talking flower; now he's seen everything.

"Anyways," it said with a dismissive head shake, "I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!"

Rock's guard held firmer. "What do you want."

Its face gave a small sad smile. "Hey, c'mon friend! I just wanted to say 'Howdy'! I always say that to people new to the Underground!"

Rock's guard held yet firmer. "Alright. Can you do me a quick favor?"

Flowey smiled brightly. "Sure! What'cha need?"

The strongest glare in the history of glares emitted from the glowing blue eyes of the robot. " **Stop lying** and tell me what you really want."

The flower's entire body seemed to pause like it was a scene from a movie. Then, it giggled with the happiest, most joyous voice that slowly began to distort and crumble. "Oh, you're fun!" It jeered mockingly. "I think I'll enjoy fighting you."

Flowey's face morphed into a devilish grin, teeth sharp as knives. "Hee hee hee... let's see that SOUL!"

They stood for a few seconds.

A few seconds more.

Beads of sweat began forming on the flower's face. "W...Where..."

Rock took a chance while the flower was distracted. He fired his buster near the murderous plant's base, the plasma heating the ground almost instantly. Flowey screamed in anguish, the sudden temperature change stunning him. With his other arm, the robot lifted the child up with ease, a surprised yelp escaping them. The robot made time to make sure they were secure in his grip, and sprinted to the hallway.

" **GET BACK HERE!** " The roaring anger exploded behind Rock, but he didn't dare look back. He cut to the left before thinking it, seeing the doorway in the corner of his eye. Another dark room, save for a skylight looking down upon a patch of grass.

And in that grass grew a very livid flower.

"I'm not done with you," the plant growled.

A vine tripped Rock, his grip on the child slipped. They both tumbled in a heap, leaving the robot wide open. He aimed his buster, but another vine coiled him in a vice. He struggled, but was met with cackling from the plant.

"You **IDIOT**. Did you really think I'd let you fire that stupid thing again?"

He felt the vine grow tighter, and his pain receptors flared. He looked toward the child, and noticed something strange. In front of their chest, a glowing red heart floated freely. The flower looked with him, and giggled with realization.

"I don't know how you managed to hide your SOUL, but the kid over there doesn't share that power!"

Rock's anger boiled again. "No! Don't you dare!" He struggled harder against the vines, but it was in vain; they were wound tight.

The flower shouted at him. "Shut up! I've been waiting patiently for AGES for a human to fall down here! I'm not missing this opportunity after so long, so you can stuff it with your 'Let me help you' shtick and just die!"

Little white bullets seemed to pop in mid air, forming a circle around Rock and the child. The robot was struggling with all his might, the child crying out in fear fueling his strength. _Damn it_ , he thought. _I gotta help them! No one else can!_

And then, there was fire.

Massive, swirling flames erupted from the other doorway, burning away the vines like paper. Yet, they seemed to avoid the child and Rock and head straight for the flower. Flowey screamed in fear as the fire formed into a giant fire ball and slammed him, his body flying across the room. He shouted in anger before finally crawling under the floor, defeated.

"What a terrible creature, torturing you two innocent youths..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it was worth the wait.


	3. The Way Instead, Is Ahead

When Rock powered on that morning, he was thinking it would be like any other day. Check up on his dad, say hi to his  
sister, search the news, go on patrol. Basic stuff that he could deal with. He could understand a situation, get to the bottom  
of it, and dish out damage if it was absolutely necessary.

He got thrown a fastball by his father, and a curve-ball by this weird cave.

The robot just stared for a bit as the tall goat-like woman dusted off and tended to himself and the child with care. Said  
child was already warming up to her and giggled when she brushed their hair with soft white paws. Rock blinked as the  
monster and the child were making conversation, the little one in full wonder. He rose his hand to turn on his  
communications in his helmet's ear, but realized he couldn't get a signal this far into the mountain. He would have to head  
back into the first room.

The goat woman made a short gasp, "Oh! Where are my manners, I should have introduced myself." She took a few steps  
backward until Rock and the child were in view, folding her hands in a formal tone. "Greetings. I am Toriel, caretaker of the  
Ruins."

Now this lady was a nice change from the freaky flower. Rock's telling of hidden intentions didn't detect any malice from her  
speaking pattern or her body language. She gave off the feeling of kindness and patience, her fanged smile and her little  
horns on her head almost cute. But he remained skeptical and kept his guard up. After all, the flower seemed nice until he  
could see its eyes.

The robot did remain polite, however. He moved his left arm behind him shifting it back to a hand inconspicuously, while also  
giving out his right hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Toriel. My name is Rock, but you can call me Mega Man."

"Oh my." She gave a motherly smile at Rock and shook hands. "Such an interesting name, and so polite!"

Her friendliness made the robot give a genuine smile despite himself. _Strange,_ he thought, _I wasn't planning on smiling._

Rock noticed her smile fall a little when she looked back to the child. "The little one told me you had fallen down here to help  
them. You were worried they had perished, I presume?" He nodded. She gave a long sigh. "I am very proud to hear you are  
a very caring person, but I am afraid your actions have caused both of you a dilemma."

The robot made a questioning frown. "What...do you mean?"

Toriel looked downward in a sad wistful expression before meeting Rock's eyes. "I will show you." She raised her voice  
with careful restraint to the child. "Come, little one. I need to show something to both of you."

They walked along when they were called, looking to Rock with curiosity on their face. The robot managed a smile, and  
held out his hand. They took it, and both of them followed the goat woman back to the atrium. Wanting to lighten the mood,  
Rock whispered to them, "Hey. What did you decide your name to be?"

The child responded with a sure expression. "Frisk."

Rock made a 'Not bad' impression, making them grin wider. "I like it."

"Thanks," they said softly. "But...I haven't told Toriel my name yet."

The robot raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"...She never asked for my name."

"...Huh."

__________

  
History was an interesting subject. The crude and simple methods of days gone by were always a peculiar thing to learn  
about. Humanity were a very stubborn and adaptive lot, and went forward with their discoveries against the pressures of  
their living. Inventions, civilizations, travel, medicine, art, food...

War.

War was an important part of history. It was to remind the people of today from making the mistakes of yesterday, they say.  
But despite that, it was something horribly consistent with the other isms of humanity. As far back as books were written,  
there was always some form of war, whether it be across the globe or against another group. Another race. But hidden in  
history was the war...of another species.

The robot known as Proto Man had installed audio bugs in secret, ever since the last schism of Doctor Wily. He taught  
himself to power on the same time Rock did, and listened in to his conversations during the day before leaving him be. He  
liked the idea of being a hidden guardian of his siblings and his father, even though he would never admit it. But he knew it  
was his choice to make. He wasn't asked to.

He noticed something in Doctor Light's voice in their chat that morning. When Rock had mentioned Mount Ebott, he  
detected fear. But, the doctor seemed alright with Rock's decision, only to ask them to be careful. Proto Man rushed to the  
library as soon as his brother left the lab, and began searching the internet for Mount Ebott. What he discovered...

There were old legends of a war that was between humans and another species that coexisted. Humans won, but instead  
of complete genocide, the other species were trapped under the mountain by a barrier formed of magic. Proto Man's first  
impression was to scoff at the implication of sorcery, but his skepticism was barraged by worry for his brother.

"Better safe than sorry," he mumbled to no one in particular.

Proto Man sprinted towards the mountain, keeping tabs on his brother walking on the path to the neighboring city behind it.  
He stood atop a large branch at a powerful tree and began using his visor. When he was built, he was equipped with a  
special helmet that could detect various waves of energy and life; his original objective was an android soldier. He looked  
towards the mountain, scanning just for his synthetic nerves to be stilled...

But instead, they were increased.

Miles and miles of an inconceivably strong **wall** slammed across his view. The entire mount housed a dormant force  
holding something inside. He couldn't dig further into the massive thing, or look away from it. It was just... **there**. And Rock  
was just casually strolling alongside it.

...And now, he was moving towards it.

Proto Man nearly fell off the branch as he took another look at the little blip his brother was making on the scanner. He  
noticed a fainter blip farther ahead where he was going, but he could still confirm that his brother was heading towards the  
mountain _why the hell are you following something up there you **moron** \--_

He leaped from tree to tree advancing on Rock's position, but it was already too late. His brother had found a cave and  
began entering it. Whatever he was following must have been important; more important than his own safety. Another robot  
in distress? A human? Proto Man finally landed at the entrance of the cave, spotting a distress beacon on a patch of grass.  
_At least my brother remembered_ that, he thought.

His helmet's visor opened up a window at the low right corner in his field of view. It was signalling that the audio bug back  
at the lab was picking up new sound. He turned it on and started listening to Doctor Light gathering information from Rock  
via clicking his helmet.

 _The barrier was messing with radio too?_ Proto Man gritted his synthetic teeth in frustration.

So it was a human that fell down. Understandable. Hopefully, all that needed to be done was that Rock would need  
assistance getting back out the mountain, and Proto Man wouldn't have to intervene.

Hopefully.

__________

  
Toriel stopped just at the foot of the golden flowers on the ground, her head looking upward to the hole above. Rock and  
Frisk looked towards her as their footsteps slowed. They looked towards one another, reading similar expressions of  
confusion on each other's face. They watched her back in the dimly lit room in patient silence.

When she spoke, her words were soft, laden with memories. "For a long time, I have come by here to see if any humans  
had fallen down. They were unharmed by the fall, thank goodness, but none of them were aware of this opening's secret."  
She shifted her head to the right, and lifted her hand. "For you see, little ones, this cavern is a one way trip. You cannot exit  
the way you came."

A fireball formed in her hand, and she flicked her arm upward. It spun in the air as it reached closer and closer to the sky  
light. But suddenly, a wall of white shimmered brightly as the sun, swallowing the fire like it was a snack. It flickered out of  
view as fast as it came. The robot and the child's jaws fell open in disbelief, and looked back to Toriel and saw that she  
was looking back at them with an unreadable expression.

Rock started panicking. "Oh man, this is bad...Um, miss Toriel. I had called for help several minutes ago already. I was  
trying to get us back from below before...before I knew anything...anyone was down here."

The goat woman shook her head. "I am afraid you cannot be aided here, Mega Man. Not with anyone else becoming..."  
her eyes looked to her left, "...stuck."

Rock's frown deepened as he began pondering for a solution. His blue eyes darted as he searched his databanks for a  
possible way of contacting his father. He nodded to himself as he found a method, and looked back to Toriel. "I can contact  
my help to tell them my situation, but I would like to be private. Is that ok?"

The goat woman's eyebrows raised in surprise, but smiled. "Of course. The child and I will wait in the next room." She  
looked back to Frisk, who was moving their hands back and forth with their stick. "Come along, my child. Mega Man is  
giving a private message to his friends."

The child nodded and followed her out of the room, looking to Rock with a query. The robot gave a thumbs up, which  
seemed to be enough for them, and went through the doorway.

Rock honed onto the beacon's recording mechanism, and started speaking.


	4. The Robot Learns, The Child Yearns

Frisk was a very curious eight year old. Their small wandering eyes drank in everything as they ventured into the  
catacombs alongside Rock, just behind the mysterious goat woman. The child's expression remained neutral, barely  
containing their excitement of something new, something to explore. Their stick and bandage on their arm were the only  
things they had left from the outside world, from their previous life, but they had a feeling they weren't going to get rid of  
them like they rid of their old name.

The robot kept a close eye on them and Toriel, listening intently to the latter as she explained the ancient puzzles originally  
built to heed fallen humans. Frisk was silent most of the conversation; they were too busy looking at the vines in the walls or  
the running water in the corners of the room. It was all very different from what both Rock and Frisk were used to, so it took  
them a while longer to enter the next room and notice the _odd_ looking Dummy and the goat woman's serious expression.

"The both of you are doing very well so far. But I must warn you that you may be attacked since you are not monsters," She  
began. Rock looked downward next to him, seeing the child clench their hand slightly. "You will need to be prepared for  
such situations. However, worry not!" She smiled to them. "The process is simple."

Toriel walked toward the other end of the room, resuming her lesson. "If you encounter a monster with an intent to FIGHT, try  
striking up a friendly conversation!" Rock's double-take was unnoticed. "Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict.  
Practice talking with this Dummy."

Rock regained his composure after hearing the _very_ different method of fighting, looking downward to Frisk again. "Hey,"  
he whispered to them. "You wanna try first?"

The child's mouth formed the smallest smile. "...Sure."

Frisk slowly began approaching the stuffed dummy, before they felt a small tug from their chest. They yelped a little bit, still  
surprised by the strange sensation. Rock's face grew stern; that happened before when the flower had attempted to hurt  
them. As calmly as he could, he turned his head towards Toriel, watching on in silence. "What's happening?" He managed  
to say placidly.

"Ah, very good question, little one!" Her smile wasn't hiding harmful intent, and her voice gave off an elementary teacher's  
lecturing. "A FIGHT between a human and a monster is very different from the norm. Your SOUL, the very culmination of  
your being, will be drawn out by innate magic from a monster, or a device substitutioning a monster." The goat woman  
sighed quietly. "Monsters cannot physically harm a human as effectively as...another human, so instead, magic is used  
against the SOUL."

"However." she spoke as her eyes gazed on the child. "No harm will come to either of you as long as you are close to me.  
But for unforeseen situations, this practice is necessary. Go on, child." She moved her head in encouragement to Frisk.  
The child gripped their stick tightly, but breathed in and exhaled a sigh for calming. Their grip on the stick lessened and  
moved forward to the dummy, their little SOUL bobbing parallel to their chest. Their soft "Hello, how are you" bounced off  
the walls of the room with the timidness of a baby deer. It made Rock's heart melt, and Toriel's face light up in pleasedness.

"Very good, my child!" She clapped her furred hands with soft applause, making Frisk's smile more poignant. "Now, Mega  
Man. Would you give it a try?"

Her question made the robot feel a tingling of uneasiness, but he gradually stepped towards the Dummy. He stood a few  
feet from it, standing straight. "Like this?" he asked, his eyes looking to her.

Toriel nodded, but noticed the missing connection. "A bit closer, little one."

He stepped forward.

Toriel gave pause. "...Closer."

He stepped forward.

Toriel's left brow shot up, her mouth a thin line. "...Closer?"

He stepped forward, stuffed dummy inches from his face.

Toriel's face was scrunched in confusion. "Strange..."

She looked beside her down to Frisk, their face returning back to the neutral expression. The child noticed Toriel's  
expression giving a question to them. They simply shrugged before looking back to Rock. Rock simply shrugged before  
looking back to Toriel. Toriel's face remained scrunched.

"...Perhaps," she finally responded, "I will check on the dummy later for a magical recharge. The next room awaits."

She rushed into the hallway in a hurry, leaving both the robot and the child in stunned silence. Rock gave a glance to the  
Dummy, silently wondering if his case took longer effect, but nothing continued to happen. _I shouldn't really be surprised,_ he  
thought.

He stepped onward silently, holding out his hand to Frisk. They took it, and asked "How'd you do that?"

"I didn't do anything," Rock replied. "Guess magic doesn't work on me, or something."

"...Is it because you're a robot?"

The whispered question wasn't meant to surprise Rock, but his eyes widened just a little. "You could tell?" He whispered  
back.

Frisk shook their head. "Guessed," they breathed. "From your arm. When we met Flowey, you..."

"Oh. Yeah, my weapon." The robot habitually looked towards his left forearm. "It's for emergencies."

"...You're keeping it a secret?"

Rock's surprise extended. "You saw that too?" He had hidden his arm before greeting Toriel, just in case. The kid was very  
perceptive, very smart for their age. Rock watched their eyes carefully as he responded, "But, you're right. I want to keep it  
a secret for now. Just in case."

He noticed a shiver wash over their body for a moment. A wet whisper, lower than before. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

The sudden change of body language was out of character for the child, but it disappeared right before Rock's eyes just as  
he was about to process a question for it. Despite that, he did notice the grip from Frisk was just a bit tighter as they  
walked into the next room.

__________

  
Doctor Light couldn't believe it.

He had kept his phone on him the whole time he was preparing to get Rush. He had hurried to grab medical supplies from  
his lab counter, getting every kind of medicine and bandage he could find. He was ready to call Doctor Cossack and ask  
for his son's pet, he was ready to travel up that mountain and help out whatever poor person was hurt out there. His finger  
was _inches_ away from the 'Call' button, the other doctor's name on the screen.

The distress signal sent a message.

When he had first seen it, he was overwhelmed by relief, and immediately stopped what he was doing to listen. The  
clicking he heard at first confused him, but then he realized it was Morse Code. Wherever Rock was, he still couldn't use  
his voice by the garbled radio noise. Light was glad he thought of everything when he built his son.

Unfortunately, as the clicking went on, the doctor's relief was slowly ebbed away. He shook his head in denial of the noise  
from his phone, but he knew he couldn't blame his own ears. The message translated perfectly in his head from his  
repeated practice from before:

 **"DAD STOP. YOU CANNOT HELP STOP. YOU WILL BE STUCK TOO STOP. DO NOT WORRY I AND THE HUMAN ARE**  
**FINE STOP. YOU CAN HELP ANOTHER WAY STOP. SEARCH ALL HISTORY OF EBOTT STOP. BE OPEN MINDED**  
**STOP. I WILL CALL AGAIN WHEN I NEED YOU STOP. SEE YOU THEN DAD."**

He still couldn't believe what Rock was saying. His thoughts from earlier today resurfaced, the old legends and the  
disappearances of kids he was told of clear and consise. Light cursed to himself softly for inadverntly sending his son to an  
unknown danger. The boy must have tried to rescue another lost child, and now they're both somewhere up the  
mountain... **trapped**.

He rushed to his computer back in his lab. Calm down, he thought. You need to think rationally. Something was keeping  
Rock from leaving the mountain, and it would trap others if they ventured too far. He needed to know everything there is to  
know about Mount Ebott. The doctor typed in the necessary keys with furious speed. His son needed him.

He won't fail his son. Not now, not ever.

__________

  
"Spike puzzle."

"...Yes it is, Mega Man."

"It's a spike puzzle."

"...You are nervous?"

"I mean...yeah. It's a spike _puzzle_."

Frisk desperately wished they were taller so they could see Rock and Toriel's expressions. The robot had paused all too  
quickly for it to be considered casual when the room of spikes was reached. And now he was staring straight ahead, his  
hand still holding Frisk's, with Toriel at the child's other side. And they were still going.

"I can understand if it is too much to take in--"

"No...no it's not that, Toriel. It's just...spikes put into a puzzle."

"...Do you have a phobia of sharp objects?"

"I've had to deal with them before."

"...I see. But this combination...frightens you?"

"...How deep is this running water over here?"

The sudden change of discussion made Frisk look more closely at the room. They noticed that yes, there was a moat of  
water surrounding the floor of three foot spikes. Toriel's left brow shot up again, the view from below making Frisk smile  
broadly. "Pardon?" She began, but was interrupted by Rock's grunt of approval.

"It's not too deep. Alright."

The casual statement slowly went through the child and goat woman's minds as they processed it. The realization struck  
both of them far too late, as Rock was already tipping one his boots over the water's surface. Toriel vainly grabbed at the  
robot's hand, but it, along with the rest of him, disappeared with a splash from the water below. The poor goat woman took  
the brunt of the wave of water, half of her robe dampened.

Her shock was short lived, as mere seconds went by before Rock jumped out of the water on the other side of the room.  
"I'm ok!" He waved.

Toriel had half a mind to scold the robot for his rashness, but a wonderfully lovely sound grew from behind her. She looked  
to Frisk, who was shaking with giggle fits at the whole ordeal. Their face was hidden by their hair, their hands cradling their  
mouth, uselessly trying to suppress their laughter at the goat woman's expense. Her resolve was eventually compromised  
by the increasing smile adorning her short snout, and began her own fit of laughter.

Rock grinned happily at the merriment from the other side of the room. He hadn't expected his effort to avoid those horrible  
spikes to be _this_ funny to them, but he was pleased that they thought so anyway. He saw Toriel crouch down for Frisk's  
hand, and they began walking to the spikes in confidence. They disappeared one by one on the path she was walking on  
until she made it to Rock's position.

Both of their faces were lit up with pleasant feelings, not hiding any enjoyment of the silly event. "Mega Man," Toriel lectured  
with mock disappointment. "I was going to show you the safe path had you not jumped into the moat, little one."

"Heh, sorry about that," Rock sheepishly responded. "I'll try to be more patient. Just..." His eyes searched her with small  
hope. "There aren't more, right?"

Toriel couldn't help but make mischief. "Oh, I suppose there are more puzzles and spikes, but puzzles _with_ spikes..." She  
smirked softly at the robot's dismay before she chuckled with motherly charm. "I am just teasing you, little one. However, we  
will need to dry your...suit."

Rock looked to himself to see the dripping glossiness of his battle armor from the spontaneous swim. His habit of telling  
others not to worry about him rose briefly, but stopped short; he was still adamant on hiding what he was. "Alright then. Do  
you have a towel?"

"I do not, unfortunately. But, I can use my magic to dry you, if that is alright?" The care in Toriel's voice was real. Rock  
smiled before he realized it. _Second time I've done that,_ he thought.

Rock nodded, and Toriel hummed approvingly. "I can use it while we are walking. It will save time." Her index finger  
withdrew a small flame that gave off a deep warmth. Frisk was mesmerized by the little flame, their brows pushed up the  
slightest bit. The fire flew slowly around Rock's body, the heat a nice comfort to the robot. He didn't really need to dry  
himself, but he appreciated the offer.

"On we go, little ones," She smiled to them, entering the long hallway ahead. Frisk followed with more trust to her than  
before, glancing to Rock walking with the little fire floating around him. The room was long, the other side barely visible, but  
the sheer length didn't deter everyone's feet. Rock noticed the more energetic and bouncy step Frisk was doing, and the  
way they were constantly looking towards Toriel. The robot felt an inkling of an emotion spark in his system, but he couldn't  
quite figure out what it was.

But it didn't take an emotion to figure out that the kid was warming up to the goat woman.

It was obvious Frisk had gone through some horrible things before they fell. They were mostly quiet, never interrupted  
anyone, and were very obedient. It was initially fear, Rock guessed, that made them like this. And now the child was  
becoming more open with their feelings; to the robot and Toriel. To think they were going to end their life, but then get back  
up after a failed attempt and just start over...

"Huh," Rock said.

"Oh dear! I almost forgot!" Toriel's pawed hand shot to her mouth in sudden remembrance. "I had planned to go for  
groceries today. Oh goodness." Her robe twirled slightly as she turned back to Frisk and Rock, flicking her finger to stop  
the flame on the now dry suit. "I am sorry for this, but I need to make some errands. Here." She withdrew an old phone from  
her robe pocket, handing it to the child. "Forgive me, but I need you two to stay here for a while. The rest of the Ruins are  
unsafe without my guidance. I will call you when I am finished, and come back to help you."

Rock glimpsed the small pout hidden behind the child's hair as their face fell slowly. The robot put his hand on their  
shoulder. "Don't worry, you still got me to talk to," he assured them. Frisk's head lifted just a little, enough to see their eyes  
giving a "thanks" to the robot.

"I will try not to be long, little ones. See you soon!" Toriel waved to them and disappeared through the doorway.

Frisk waved sadly, apparent that they weren't liking the idea of having to stay put. Rock didn't mind too much; he was  
enjoying spending time with the kid. They were opening up and fairing well with their situation, a step to recovery from  
whatever dark things their past did to them. The goat woman though...

_"I am afraid you cannot be aided here, Mega Man. Not with anyone else becoming...stuck."_

The way her eyes moved signified that she wasn't telling the whole truth about whatever that strange barrier did. Her  
kindness was definitely real, but he was wondering why she would be keeping secrets. He subconsiously looked to his left  
forearm gauntlet. His Mega Buster. He hoped he wouldn't need to use it, but if Toriel's uncovered secret led to a fight...

"Damnit," he mouthed, his back to the child. His programming disallowed him to harm humans and animals, but the goat  
woman and the flower were something his systems didn't recognize as either. They were outside of his zone of safety  
protocols, unlike other robots. He had the choice to harm them. Which means...

He could **kill** them.

Rock breathed in slowly, and exhaled. He would worry about _that_ later. He needed to focus on Frisk. His thoughts over, he  
looked over to see the child sitting against the column with the phone next to them. Their hands were playing with the stick  
again, but he noticed they were scratching at their bandaged beneath their sweater. Rock sat next to them similarly,  
watching them repeatedly rubbing at it.

"Arm itchy, huh?" Rock tried.

"Mm hmm," Frisk replied. "Needs to heal though."

Uh oh. Hesitantly, the robot asked "What is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

The child looked deep in thought for a minute, their hands holding onto the stick loosely. "It's...bad. Don't like it."

Rock was silent for many seconds. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to help you with it."

Their face looked up to him in disbelief. "You...you mean it?"

"Yes, Frisk. That's why I came down here with you. To help." Rock spoke with absolute certainty.

"...Then...sure. Just be gentle, please."

Rock nodded, and slowly moved Frisk's sweater sleeve up to get a better look at the bandage. It was blotted with smudges  
and dirt, and tied haphazardly. He took his fingers on a loose end, and tenderly unwrapped it, watching the child's face for  
any distress. They weren't hurting, thankfully.

Underneath, their skin was wet with trapped sweat finally being freed from the tight bonds of the dirty bandage, but Rock's  
attention was more focused on the _**slashes**_. Rock gasped softly as his thoughts spun wildly at the clean cuts. They were  
even, precise, methodical. Deep enough for bleeding, but not enough to make visible scars.

Rock's lips were squeezed tight from bottled fury rising in his chest. He glanced back to Frisk's face, which was now  
downcast. He _needed_ to fix this. It wasn't right. None of what happened to this poor kid was right. He slowly hugged the  
child with his other arm, and they hesitated for an instant. But, they cushioned into his arm, a quiet exhale leaving them.

"I can help heal you, Frisk," Rock whispered. "But I need to clean your bandage."

Their head bobbed, their hair still hiding their face. Rock mentally searched through his old programming until he found  
what he was looking for. With his right index finger, he pointed it to the bandage. A small line of sanitizing fluid shot from the  
tip, and he slowly rubbed it into the long strap until he could no longer see the smudges. Then, he opened a small  
compartment in his right forearm gauntlet. The E-Tank he had minimized with his atom manipulation sat inside. He took it  
out with his finger and thumb, holding it into his palm. He doubled tapped it with his thumb, and it grew back to its original  
size.

"Frisk? Have you ever seen an Energy Tank before?" He tried asking.

Their curiosity led their face back to view, their eyes fixating on the grey can with an 'E' on its side. They shook their head,  
allowing Rock to continue. "These tanks give a boost to machines. They use a mixture of chemicals forming into a liquid to  
give me more power to do my job. But..." Rock twisted off the lid and poured a trickle of green liquid onto the bandage. "...If  
you combine this liquid with a cleaning agent, like sanitizer..." He took his right index finger and shot a line into the liquid.  
The substances began to foam into a yellow bubbly solution.

"...It becomes a healing agent for humans!" Rock finished.

Frisk's face lit up in childlike wonder as the robot spread the agent across the bandage. Rock grinned. "The best part is, it  
doesn't hurt when you use it. Can I see your arm, please?"

The child held out their arm with full commitment, their trust in Rock making him smile wider. He gently wrapped the clean  
bandage on their arm. It looked much better from before, and the cuts should heal in no time. Frisk tested their arm; no  
itches, no burning sensation. It was like they weren't ever hurt at all.

The child let out a small sound of happiness, their arms wrapping around Rock's shoulders in a tight hug.

"Thank you."

Rock led his arms around the child in return.

"You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a bit longer. Hope you enjoy.


	5. They Venture Out, Wits With or Without

The room was cool and quiet.

A small light above clicks on, the clean blue walls and the faded lavender tiled floors gleaming. A counter lies plain in the  
corner of the room, blueprints sprawled carelessly on its face. The only clue to what these blueprints contained hid behind a  
large tarp at the end of the room. More secrets hid inside the drawers at the end of the counter, but they were currently not  
on the mind of the one who turned on the light in the first place.

Out of the dark hallway stepped out the most _peculiar_ thing; a simplistic skeleton wearing a blue hoodie, black sport shorts  
with a white stripe on each pant leg, and pink fluffy slippers. The beads of light inside the hollow eye sockets slowly locked  
onto the drawer closest to the tarp. The skeleton's pace was extraordinarily close to not being a pace at all. There was the  
lowest absolute effort of him raising its feet to get closer to the drawer, but for the time it took, it was worth it. A skeletal  
hand slunk out of his hoodie pocket and opened the drawer, revealing a small device with a screen. With painful slowness,  
the skull and its beady lights arched themselves to get a better look at the screen.

For a few minutes, nothing on the little device managed to captivate the skeleton's attention. It was giving a standard  
reading with not much of a divergence of what could change. Nothing was surprising, not even the extra small shift of  
possible outcomes in the beginning of the readout. The skeleton made his arm move to shut the drawer and not open it  
again that day, giving an uninterested second look at the small reading.

Something clicked in his head that managed to wake it from the doldrums. The readings were growing sporadic, outcome  
after outcome sprouting steadily, until they started making _connections_ to one another. The skeleton watched the screen in  
quiet awe as more and more possibilities grew like a tree, fruitful and everlasting and...

... **New**.

The previous old readings that showed everything just ending were nearly swallowed by the massive swarm of **New!** **New**  
readings! The skeleton managed to smile a bit more at the prospect of **New**. **New** was something different. Something  
fresh. He couldn't remember the last time he thought about something **New**. It excited _and_ terrified him, but he didn't care  
because it was something **New!**

The spring of questions flowed from his cranium, a resurface of his past flickering in the confines of his memory. The  
skeleton gave one last look at the screen, confirming that he wasn't dreaming, and went back to the dark hallway to flick off  
the light. The skeleton disappeared without a trace.

The room was cool and quiet once more.

__________

  
"...Should we call her?"

The small voice beside him woke Rock from his deep thought. He had given space to Frisk after they expressed their  
gratitude with the heartfelt hug. They were quiet for a while, staring at the little black phone Toriel had handed to them. He  
gave a quick glance at the clock in his programming; four minutes had passed. It would be noon in three hours. Rock didn't  
want to rush the kid, but at the same time, the longer he was down here, the bigger chance of something happening up  
above.

With softness, the robot answered, "Ok. Might as well say hello to her." He turned his head to focus on Frisk's expression.  
"Wanna talk to her first?"

The child hid their face under their hair, turtling themselves in their big sweater. "...Maybe."

Rock nudges them with his shoulder. "Aw c'mon Frisk," he chuckled. "She already likes you. Just make small talk, like you  
did with the Dummy." He tussled their hair a bit, making the child's bubbly giggles rise from their stomach. "That's easy  
enough, right?"

Frisk's expression shined through their messy hair, no longer hiding inside their sweater. "Yeah, you're right. I'll do it," they  
said surely. Their hands started pushing the buttons on the little phone, figuring out how to select the contact number--

BBBRRRIINNGG BBBRRRIINNGG

Both Rock and Frisk jumped at the spike of sound echoing profusely from the tiny phone, not expecting such a  
shout of noise in the quiet whispers of the ruins. Frisk regained their courage after the initial scare, and answered the  
phone. "Hello?" they responded quietly.

"Greetings, child! This is Toriel," the phone's speaker was very clean and crisp, like the goatwoman was right there with  
them. "I hope you and Mega Man are doing well?"

"...Yes, we are," the child spoke, a smile giving way to their stoic expression. Rock smiled too, not quiet expecting it.

"Good. Ah, I had called to say..." she cleared her throat, "My errands are taking longer than I thought they would. You must  
wait five more minutes."

Rock noticed a shift in Frisk's smile, their body almost seemed to deflate. "Sure..." they said tiredly, habitually. The robot  
felt an urge to give them another hug.

"Thank you for being patient," Toriel responded, very obvious that she was in a hurry from the sound of her footsteps in the  
background. The phone clicked, ending the call.

Frisk sighed sadly. The phone call hadn't gone the way they wanted. They looked to Rock, whose face wore a concerned  
expression. The child tilted their head to the phone. "She's still busy."

The robot nodded in return, putting his arm around the child. They didn't hesitate this time, easily leaning towards him. "I  
see. I don't mind waiting a little longer. How about you?"

The child stayed silent, their head arcing in thought. Their neutral expression back, they put the phone into their pocket,  
grasping the stick they left next to them. "I'm bored."

Surprised laughter overtook Rock. "We just discovered an ancient catacomb filled with creatures that is possibly hundreds  
or thousands of years old, and you're _bored?_ "

Frisk nodded promptly. "I wanna explore. Just a little. Please?"

Their clasped hands and little pout stirred another urge for Rock to hug the little tike harder, but he held off still. "Toriel said  
it's unsafe, remember? We don't know what's ahead."

"Please, Rock?" Their eyes opened a little, revealing two hazel pools begging him.

The robot pressed his lips, trying to look away from the puppy eyes. He closed his eyes with a frustrated sigh. "Alright. Just  
the next room." He heard the happy gasp. He added, "But if there's spikes or traps, we're coming right back here."

Frisk nodded fervently, standing up with their stick in hand and putting the phone in their pocket. Rock had to keep himself  
from laughing at the burst of cute enthusiasm. Standing beside each other, they walked to the next room.

To no surprise, the walls were just as purple as the rest of the ruins; the room had a doorway and a small frog looking  
creature to their left, and a hallway full of crimson fall leaves to their right . Rock eyed the frog suspiciously while scanning  
the room. Frisk's attention led to the ground covered in dead leaves and slid into them, giggling mirthfully. Rock found no  
hidden puzzles or spikes, but instead kept watch over Frisk and the frog in the corner.

A low ribbit caught the robot's attention, his head swiftly whipping to the creature in question. His innate intimidation  
seemed to placate the creature, but Rock's surprise came through when it spoke. "Excuse me, human," it croaked with a  
faint european accent. "I have some advice for you about battling monsters."

Rock noticed the sound of crinkling leaves stopped, and he looked to see that Frisk's attention had also been caught by  
the odd frog. He turned back to it cautiously. "Alright," he said. "Go ahead."

The frog creature resumed. "If you ACT a certain way or FIGHT until you almost defeat them...they may not want to battle  
you anymore." Its eyes gave the look of want. "If a monster no longer wants to fight you, please..." it bowed its head slightly.  
"Use some MERCY, human."

It gave a final ribbit to them, leaving the favor in the air. Frisk gave an imposing thumbs up to the frog from the seat of  
leaves, saying in their own way that they would not hurt anyone. Rock gave a small nod of respect to the child, and  
reassured their answer with his own thumb. "I'll do my very best, frog monster."

"Froggit," the creature corrected.

But Rock was already walking over to Frisk, the latter rolling around in the leaves with hardly a care. Rock chuckled at the  
adorable antics of the child, one of the leaves swishing in the air to his palm. He gave note that these leaves were  
unnaturally soft, durable. _Like those flowers in the first room,_ he thought. _Whatever plantation is growing down here must be_  
_incredibly resistant. If the flowers from before could save a child from harm, perhaps the dead leaves could do the same?_

Rock's thought was interrupted by a poking to his hip. "Hey Rock," he heard Frisk say with obvious intent.

Humoring the child, he turned his head to where the child was playing. "What is it, F--"

A handful of dead leaves was playfully slapped against his chest, a mischevious grin adorning the child's face. Rock was  
stunned for a few seconds. Then, slowly, he crouched his knees to gather a rather large pile of crimson leaves and raised  
them over his head. His face was lit with pure unadulterated misadventure.

"You're gonna get it now!"

A squeal of laughter filled the room as the robot and the child played in the leaves, smiles warm and thoughts happy as  
their competition echoed throughout the catacombs.

__________

  
Flowey the Flower was becoming **very** upset.

He had been patient this time, waiting for someone to fall so he could finally enact his plan. He thought initially, "What luck!  
Two SOULs for me to take!" When he saw the little squirt and the weird human dressed in weird blue armor. And then the  
weirdness doubled when he could turn his hand into a gun, and he could hide his SOUL. An old part of Flowey wanted to  
be impressed and enamored by the cool upgrade in technology, but he was too focused on _HOW MUCH THIS SUCKS,_  
_**WOW** THIS SUCKS._

And to make matters worse, he lost his power. **His** power. The power to change fate. It was gone, stolen by one of **them**.  
Which means for the first time, Flowey needed to do everything right; no second chances. He wanted to slap his vines in  
frustration, but he needed to be smart. His hatred wouldn't benefit him now. He needs to make a **New** plan. Something **New**  
to form a strategy around. **New** tactics. **New** calculations.

 _I'll study them,_ he plotted. _I'll see what they do, where they go. Watch them, and find out which one of them took my power._  
_And then, I'll show them..._ "Hee hee hee..." his voice cackled in the empty room, his thoughts running the endless ways he  
could catch them off guard, end their existence...

_...No...wait...what if...?_

"Oooooooohh." The flower began to dance a little as a brilliant idea began to form. It would require more patience, but it  
didn't matter. He could wait, he had plenty of time. But, he wanted to send a message to the two meddlers. Fangs grew  
from his mouth, sharp and deadly, his bitterness no longer poignant. One way or another, if his plan worked, they would  
give him what he wanted whether they knew it or not.

His stem burned as his demented giggles filled the room; anyone who would have heard it would have chills sent up their  
spine. They continued as he slunk himself into the ground, vibrating the earth with vitriolic fury.

__________

  
"It's been half an hour."

"Mm hmm."

"She must be really busy, huh."

"Mm hmm."

"Even after you called her three times to say hello."

"Mm hmm."

"And then she called you and asked if you like cinnamon or butterscotch."

"Mm hmm."

"And then asked if you'd mind if they were both in something."

"Mm hmm."

Rock looked over to Frisk, both of them lying flat on their backs in the comfy leaves. The robot was waiting for the child's  
mind to click the pieces of their conversation in place. From what he could see, they had their lips pursed for _extra_ hard  
thinking; their words.

"...D'you think I should flirt with her?"

A loss of air from his nose was Rock's response, before asking, "What for?"

"...She might tell me then."

Frisk's expression remained unchanged the whole time they've been talking, which only made things worse for Rock trying  
to contain himself before he lost it. "I don't...hah..." he gulped air to reset. "I don't think you'll need to. You've got enough  
clues now. Just think about what she said."

Frisk made a grunt, their brows in furrowed concentration. What could cinnamon and butterscotch be put into? Not  
sandwiches, or burritos. They wouldn't work right with a cookie, not even a cake. So what--

Their motions froze for a split second. Frisk rose up from their bed of leaves in a sharp right angle, rigid straight.

"She's making a pie."

Rock nodded to their back. "Yep. Pretty sure that's the answer."

Frisk looked to him, a bright expression lighting up their face. "She's making a pie!"

"It's a nice surprise, don't you think?" Rock said to them with a small smile.

"Rock, can we please go? I don't wanna wait any more," they asked with complaint.

The robot's smile fell a little. "You're _that_ excited for pie?"

"Yeah!" Their answer was like it was the most obvious thing in the world. They held on to their stick tightly, their eyes  
looking far away. "I mean..." they started to say, a little unsure of themselves now. Rock's smile was gone, watching them  
beginning to hide in the sweater again. "...I've never had pie."

Rock stood up from the leaf bed, his shock apparent in his body language as he got closer to Frisk. "I'm sorry," was the  
only thing he could say as he hugged the child again. They shook a little, before breathing out another deep sigh.

"S'ok," he heard them mumble in his chest.

Rock grew more and more compassionate to the child each passing minute. _They really care about this_ , he thought. He  
combed their hair with his fingers, holding onto them for their own support. _What else have they not gotten to eat?_ He didn't  
want to know the answer, as it would just make him angrier than he already was at whoever did this. With a surge of  
new-found energy, Rock spoke to them. "Hey, you know what? I'm gonna help you."

Their eyes peaked up to him behind their hair. "Really?"

"You betcha. You're getting pie today, no more waiting. I'll protect you from whatever's ahead." He had no regrets to his  
statement. He was gonna make this kid happy.

Frisk's eyes seemed to sparkle and shine, and they were lifted up in surprise. A yelp escaped them, giggles following  
behind. Rock gently put them on his back, their legs held up by his arms. They could see next to his head where they were  
going, so they could still see all the sights the ruins had before them. A voice of reason managed to raise in the back of  
their mind, and they asked to Rock, "What about Toriel?"

With a big grin, the robot responded, "We're giving her our own surprise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mega Man really likes helping people.


	6. And They're Off, No Doubts to Scoff

The ghost monster didn't know why it particularly liked laying in this spot in the Ruins, but it was a good spot as any. It was  
quiet like any other room, with the echoes of flowing water making a nice white noise to drift off to, or to settle into deep  
thought. The leaves underneath the ghost monster were an added bonus for a cozy spot, although they weren't  
much different from the other patches of the crinkling beds. In the end, it was still a good spot.

Today seemed different though, as previously the only noise the ghost monster ever heard before were the babblings of  
water. But hidden behind the water was voices, farther down the hallway. If the ghost monster listened, it could make out the  
giggling and squealing of childlike demeanor, seemingly giving conversation to an older, more mature teenager. There  
were bumps and clanks that vibrated the walls, and more conversations with croaking and gurgling. There was a sharp yell,  
but then there was also frantic apologizing, then laughter.

After a few minutes, it became clear to the ghost monster that the voices were getting louder. That meant whoever the two  
voices belong to were eventually going to come through _here_. It bothered the ghost monster just a little, but it quietly formed  
an idea to deter the people from bothering it.

As the voices grew closer, the ghost monster could finally make out the words in the conversation.

"--so fun!" the childlike voice exclaimed.

"Gotta admit, you're right Frisk," the older voice agreed. "I'm enjoying myself."

"Even if you were...skep...skep.."

"Skeptical, Frisk."

"Yeah, that."

The older voice chuckled. "These monsters aren't too different from people. They were just scared, defending themselves.  
It wouldn't be right to harm them."

"Yeah. Nice that they leave money."

"Gold, even. That stuff is _expensive_."

"Hey, Rock? Can I walk with you?"

"Oh, yeah. Hang on."

There was some quiet shuffling. They were in the next room.

"Thanks."

"No problem, Frisk."

The ghost monster could hear footsteps now. Soft taps and low thuds.

"...Any particular reason why you're staring at the cheese on the table?" the older voice asked.

A thoughtful hum was the response. More silence for just a moment, then footsteps. The ghost monster enacted the plan.  
With a hiss of its mouth, the ghost monster murmured the sound of 'zzzz' and closed its eyes. The footsteps were right next  
to it, and stopped a few feet. The ghost monster dared not to move.

"Huh," the older voice breathed.

A whisper nearby asked, "Are they sleeping?"

"Weirdest way of sleeping _I've_ ever seen," the older voice whispered back.

Another foolproof plan succeeded to impress the ghost monster, and thus followed it. With a louder hiss of its mouth, it  
made the murmured sound of 'zzzz' a few octaves louder.

The younger voice whispered, "Is...is it in deep sleep now?"

A 'hmph' was a response. "Either that, or..."

The ghost monster could feel a presence move near. Pattered soft clinks of metal emanated from it, and the ghost monster  
could swear it could hear the faintest vibration of an active computer.

"Excuse me."

The voice was a very clear, very well mannered thing. It gave a firm kindness to the ghost monster, who had no choice but  
to open its eyes in respect to it. A figure adorned in a blue and light blue suit was on one knee, a passive smile inside an  
odd helmet watching patiently.

"I apologize if I interrupted your sleep, but my friend and I need to pass through. Can you move, please?"

The ghost monster's emotions escaped itself, and began spewing tears from its wide eyes. The figure in blue  
moved backward swiftly, avoiding the makeshift bullets the tears formed into. The ghost monster was beside itself from the  
unexpected wave of emotion, and tried forming an apology.

"....oh...." It was barely there, like a breeze through the room. ".....i'm sorry...."

The figure nodded to them, sitting back to its position. "It's alright. _I_ was the one who woke _you_ , no need to say sorry."  
Behind the figure, a smaller form peeked behind them curiously, before crouching down next to it. It was a smaller figure  
with a mess of brown hair, a blue sweater with purple stripes, blue shorts, and black shoes with matching socks. It's hands  
held a stick passively, a cute little smile giving way to the ghost monster.

"Hello," the smaller figure chirped softly. "Nice to meet you."

The ghost monster managed a small smile. "....heh...." Then, it formed yet another plan. But this time, it wasn't for itself.

"...let me try..." The ghost teared up again, but to the surprise of the older and younger figures, the droplets shot straight up  
to the monster's round head. A blob of water began morphing into a top hat, the same color as the ghost. With its small  
smile still present, the ghost monster proudly presented the unusual headgear. "...i call it....'dapperblook'....do you like it?"

The smaller one's dark brows rose in admiration. "Coooool," it exhaled.

The larger one chuckled, impressed. "Wow, that _was_ pretty cool. Is Blook your name?"

A faint grey blush came into view on the white of the ghost monster. "....actually....my name is napstablook..."

"Napstablook," the younger figure repeated warmly. "It's nice to meet you."

The older figure ruffled the hair of the younger one, getting a giggle from them. "This little ball of cute is Frisk, and I'm Rock.  
You can call me Mega Man."

"...oh gee..." Napstablook's blush deepened, a few small tears seeping through. "...i usually come to the Ruins because  
there's nobody around...but today i met two nice people..." The ghost monster's face brightened in content. Then, it  
mouthed an "oh" in sudden realization. "i'm rambling again. i'll get out of your way."

As the ghost monster faded away, they heard the younger figure shout out, "Bye Napstablook! See you later!"

The blush was all the more pronoun.

__________

  
The friendly apparition faded completely from Rock and Frisk's sight, leaving them alone in the small room. The child's  
wave eventually died, their energy slowly draining. The robot gave their shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and they both  
moved onward. The other side of the thin hall had a doorway to their left and a small room ahead. Frisk made the wordless  
decision to move forward, Rock following.

"You've been making a lot of friends," the robot stated.

Frisk hummed tiredly. "It's fun," they said with fatigue.

A low growl echoed loudly in the small room, making both of them jump. Rock's sharp eyes searched hurriedly, but then  
started grinning like a buffoon when he looked toward Frisk's stomach. The child's eye's widened only a tad at the odd  
discovery of their belly making such a racket. The robot's chuckle evolved into a hearty laugh of relief. "Ha ha! It was just,  
ha, your..." he put a hand to his face to suppress himself. "I'm sorry...heh...that really caught me off guard."

Frisk pouted with a "hmph," their arms folding in mock irritation. "My tummy's not _that_ scary," they manage to say before a  
smirk eventually breaks through.

A "snrk" escaped Rock's lips before he exhaled to calm himself. "Even so," he responded. "We should get you something  
to eat."

A halfhearted nod was the child's answer, and they walked into the room ahead. A small sign sat squarely in the middle of  
the room, two sets of webs set in the left wall. Intrigued, the two looked to the side of it to read the crude handwriting. It  
read, "Spider Bake sale. All proceeds go to real spiders." Rock went to the webs, and sure enough there was little price  
tags woven into them.

"Seven gold for a Spider Donut," Rock read aloud, Frisk reading nearby. He looked to the child, both of them wearing an  
unsure expression. "Well, if you're wondering what those taste like, guess you should buy one. Got enough?"

The child checked their jingling pocket, grabbing a handful of coins to count. "I've got enough," they answered, obvious that  
they weren't too keen of the idea.

"Don't worry, I'll eat it with you," Rock promised.

Frisk raised one of their brows. "You can eat?"

"It doesn't do much for me besides tasting stuff, but yeah."

The robot's response was enough for Frisk to decide. They carefully placed the appropriate amount in the web. Above, a  
little black spider climbed down with a pink donut in its front legs. With a swift and precise toss, it landed in the child's  
awaiting palms. It skittered back to the dark ceiling with a spring in its step, leaving the both of them blinking in  
astonishment.

Rock studied the donut in Frisk's hand. It glistened with a thin glaze, and had little black bits peppered across it. He could  
smell and sense that it was fresh; at least five minutes old. He scanned it, his helmet giving him common ingredients in the  
dough, but noticed his scanner was detecting some unknown ingredients. The robot took his left hand to break off a piece  
of the treat, giving a comforting smile to the child. "I'll try it first."

The robot nibbled off from his piece, chewing slowly for effective tasting. Whatever the unknown element was, it seemed to  
be tasteless and harmless. But, he was impressed by how tasty the donut was. Just the right amount of sweetness, and the  
little black bits weren't chocolate but some kind of crunchy sweet texture he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Frisk looked up to him with anticipation. "So?" they asked.

"It's not full of poison, so that's a plus," the robot answered. "It's safe to eat, so go--"

The donut in Frisk's hand was utterly and officially **obliterated** by their mouth with little thought for manners. The robot's eyes  
widened, watching them as they hungrily chewed, their face awash with content. They closed their eyes and hummed  
accordingly, unaware of Rock's surprise.

"Wow," he exhaled. "Didn't know you were _that_ hungry."

A burp was the response.

They both began laughing as he lifted them on his back again. Their giggles subsided as they traveled back to the other  
room, and all that was left was a deep sigh. "Ok, Frisk. Ready to finish our mission?" Rock asked with playful seriousness.

"Heck yeah," they whispered.

"Alright! Let's go!" Rock held onto Frisk's legs tight, and sprinted to the hall.

__________

  
Napstablook faintly heard the two new friends in the room above running down the hallway, a "Wheeeeeeeee" in the air.

"...they must be having fun..."

__________

  
Rock easily jumped over the set of spikes, continuing his sprint past all of the monsters that stood by in surprise. As  
interesting as the monsters are, he still wanted to keep his promise to the kid holding onto him. His athletic power allowed  
him to skip over the puzzles laid about in the hallways he was trekking through. He hurried to the next hall, skipping past a  
bug like creature with a "Hey how you doing see you later."

The rooms didn't seem to have any more hazardous puzzles as he made quick scans ahead; all there was now were color  
coded switches in each of the rooms. Again, they weren't necessary, as evidence by Rock's powerful leap over each set of  
spikes he came across.

And hearing Frisk squealing with delight on his back only made him smile harder that he was helping this kid have fun.  
Every bit of positive reinforcements counted to their future, and so far, the Ruins were giving just that. _Just need to watch_  
_out for the flower_ , he reminded himself. _Hopefully we don't run into it_.

He noticed cleanly trimmed shrubbery on the ground, and he slowed down. He looked to his left to the hallway, noticing  
more red leaves on the ground placed neatly. "Frisk, I think we're here," Rock said. He could feel them peek up from his  
helmet, watching ahead as he walked into the hallway.

An ebony tree occupied the courtyard of the front of the supposed house, surrounded by leaves that fell directly after they  
grew. "Huh," the robot breathed. _I've never seen a tree like that_. His thoughts were interrupted by a murmuring voice and  
shuffling from the doorway. He saw the robe and the white fur, and smiled. "Ok Frisk, on three," he whispered to them, and  
they hummed quietly.

"Oh dear," she said aloud, her eyes distracted as she wiped off flour from her robe. "That took longer than I thought it  
would." She began reaching into her robe pocket, then saw Rock and Frisk jump from behind the tree.

They both grinned.

"Surprise!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a good thing Toriel's limbs don't freeze up when she's surprised.


	7. What                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Changed?

**Where did it happen**

**Where was the link broken**

**This is something out**

 

**of**

 

**my**

 

**knowledge**

 

**This is something**

 

**New**

 

**And I can do nothing but observe**

 

**But perhaps**

 

**If the world can make something**

 

**New**

 

**Perhaps**

 

**I**

 

**can**

 

**too**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone notices.


	8. Monster Mother, Like No Other

It didn't take long for Toriel to snap out of surprise and rush to the robot and child. Rock saw the way she carried herself with  
doting worry to Frisk, her dark red eyes flickering over them. It was obvious she had very much experience as she gently  
carried the child off of Rock in her soft furred arms, the robed sleeves caving in naturally. There was no objection to Frisk's  
part; they were already nuzzling themselves in her bosom.

The whole time she was doing this, questions flew from her fanged mouth. "Little ones, how did you get here? Are you both  
hurt? Did the puzzles frighten you? Did anyone try to hurt you?"

"It's alright Toriel," Rock managed to answer amidst the barrage. "We weren't hurt. In fact, we made a lot of friends!"

The caretaker's mouth slightly opened in surprise, her eyes looking down to the child in her arms. "Is that true, my child?"

Frisk's eyes lit up, albeit tiredly. "Yeah! The monsters were scared of us at first, but we treated them nice. It was so fun..." a  
yawn stopped their speech, making Toriel's heart flutter for an instant. She held her breath for a moment, giving a pleased  
chuckle.

"I am sorry for making the both of you wait," she said as she let down Frisk. "I am glad that you had fun and were  
unharmed, but it was irresponsible of me to try to surprise you..." Her eyes dilated and a blush rose beneath her cheeks.  
Rock gave a knowing grin; Frisk's hazel eyes opened just a tad in joyous realization. "Well," Toriel replied sheepishly, "I  
suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, little ones!"

The caretaker beckoned the two as she went inside the quaint looking abode. Frisk slid their feet in droopy fashion, their  
posture falling to hunched exhaustion. Rock followed behind at arm's length, ready to carry them if they started falling over.  
_Poor kid_ , he thought sadly. _I never did let them get some sleep_. He watched them as they stopped in front of one of the  
windows, the leaves below their feet crinkling.

It was only for a brief moment, but Rock noticed the faintest shine of red from the slits of their eyes as they stood in the  
patch of leaves. That flash of color was like it flipped a switch in Frisk's expression, though it was quick. He swear he could  
see the remnants of a deep sadness from the sudden flash. Guilt, regret, anger...

**Determination.**

Frisk began moving towards the doorway as if nothing had happened, resuming their walk without giving the robot a sign  
that they had made a ghost of an emotion. A frown settled on his mouth, although he couldn't explain why he did it. _They_  
_were probably just enduring a bad memory, right?_ It didn't seem to quench his worry, and his frown deepened. _What else_  
_would it be?_

Rock shook his head. He didn't need to pry about their past; he'll let them decide if they want to talk about it. He followed  
Frisk inside, and his mouth was agape.

It was like a portal into a rural home. The purple walls and the rushing water and the leafy vines; gone. Pleasant eggshell  
white adorned the walls, and thick wooden boards floored under his feet. He could see houseplants atop cabinents, a low  
bookshelf in the corner. Stairs leading somewhere below, but he couldn't dwell on that now. For now, his synthetic senses  
could detect something _wonderful_. No doubt Frisk beside him could smell it too.

"Do you smell that?" Toriel asked with barely contained excitement. "I have a surprise of my own! It is a butterscotch-  
cinnamon pie." Frisk lit up with the remaining energy they had left, their smile the widest Rock has ever seen it. "I thought  
we might celebrate the both of you arriving." The robot smiled again, not being able to help himself. "I want you both to have  
a nice time...here." Her voice was confident until the very end, falling just a tad. Her expression came back as fast as it left.  
"So, I will hold off on snail pie for tonight. Come, I have a surprise for you, child."

Toriel's pawwed had was held out for Frisk. They took it trustfully, walking slowly behind her. She balanced her own walk to  
accomodate the tired child, stopping to a door in a long hallway with a more mellow yellow color. Rock watched the both of  
them, observing them both.

"A room of your own," he heard her say. "I hope you like it!" She placed her hand on Frisk's head affectionately, rubbing  
their hair. A pleased hum was all that Frisk could do after today. Rock noticed a slight singe amidst the pie baking. Toriel  
must have noticed it, as she turned to the opposite room, murmuring to herself. "Um, make yourselves at home!" She said  
as she hurriedly paced past the robot.

Another yawn escaped Frisk, looking to Rock with a query. "I wanna sleep, but... _pie_." He could see the inner turmoil in their  
body language. A soft laugh filled the air as the robot walked to them, his hand on their shoulder.

"I'll ask her to give you a slice before you sleep," he smiled. "For now, let's check out your room."

The child nodded slowly as their brows drooped. The robot helped them inside by opening the door for them. The room  
was a quaint, homey, autumn brown. A comfortable bed lay on the right corner of the room, housing large stuffed dolls and  
an assortment of toys in a box. A wardrobe sat to the bed's left, alongside a small shelf with a picture, and a box with a  
drawing above it next to a lamp on a stand. And to finish the homey feeling, a snug looking rug dressed the floor.

Frisk made a bee line for the bed, testing its softness with their right hand. Their left hand finally put the stick down, leaning  
it against the wardrobe. They sat on the bed, relaxation finally in their grasp. "Room's nice," they mumbled.

"Yeah. Really looks like a kid's room," Rock thought out loud. He remained standing, taking in the scenery. A grim guess  
settled into his mind as his eyes wandered throughout the room. _I haven't seen or heard a child that looks like Toriel_ , he  
mused. _So maybe..._

Rock sighed sadly, looking to Frisk as they were slowly nodding off. "Hey," he said softly. "I'll go check out the pie." Frisk  
hummed back, and the robot left the room.

He could hear faint sound at the other side of the house. Toriel was humming a tune, handling glass plates, cutting  
something soft. Rock walked toward the sound, entering a pleasant room with a fire place. A larger book shelf and tools  
were at his right, and a table with two big chairs and a small chair was at the farthest corner. A comfy sofa sat next to the  
fireplace, and there already was a fire inside it.

Toriel entered from another doorway at the far right corner, carrying two plates of wholesome pie slices, forks on top. She  
saw Rock, and smiled wholeheartedly. "I managed to save the pie from burning, thank goodness. Here," she sat the plate  
on the table. "I hope you enjoy it, Mega Man."

"Thanks," the robot said.

"You are very welcome." She bowed her head politely, her demeanor full of motherly love. "I assume the little one is in their new  
room?"

Rock nodded, sitting at the table. "They wanted a slice before going to sleep. It's been a long day for them."

"I see," she replied. "I will be quiet then." She held the remaining plate with both hands, her padded feet wandering to the  
door at the hall. Rock watched from behind his chair, taking note of how she knocked softly before entering. He saw her  
mouth open, a low murmur of "aw" and putting a hand over her heart. She entered slowly, softly.

 _Guess they couldn't wait_ , Rock thought with a chuckle.

She reappeared minutes later, her hands empty and her mood lifted as she closed the door and waltzed to Rock's  
direction. The robot could practically see the glow of her face as she hummed her way to what Rock assumed was the  
kitchen. He could hear utensils clinking to the rythm of her tune. It was beginning to bounce around in his head, it was so  
catchy.

"Mega Man, were you wanting a drink?" The caretaker called.

"I'm alright with pie for now," Rock responded, a piece of sweet goodness on his fork. He scanned it to sate his skeptisism,  
noticing it too had an unknown ingredient in the mix. _Like the donut_ , he thought. He chewed his piece, then became very  
aware of something.

The pie was good.

The pie was _very_ good.

He took another bite, and somehow it was _better_ than the first. He took a bite after that one, and mysteriously it was _even_  
**_tastier_**. By the fifth and sixth bite his eyes were wide as saucers at this seemingly 'Better Each Bite' pie. The seventh bite  
he had to sit back in his chair to keep from getting overwhelmed.

"I am glad you like it."

The robot finally broke from his pie trance to notice that Toriel was sitting in the reading chair by the fire. She was wearing  
glasses on the bridge of her small snout, an open book in her hands. A prideful smirk hid behind her fanged mouth, which  
was unexpected to see from such a lady as her. The situation made Rock nearly choke on the pie from laughing at himself.

The robot swallowed, reveling in the aftertaste. "I don't know how many people have told you this," he said straight faced.  
"But your pie is awesome."

"Hee hee hee! Thank you," she smiled.

__________

  
Frisk hadn't meant to fall asleep. But the coziness of the blanket they were sitting on had bested them, and they had slowly  
fell face first into the pillow at the end of the bed. They subconsiously laid their head for breathing, and simply passed out.  
Which in turn made them confused when they woke back up with a jerk.

The first thing they noticed is that it was dark, and they were tucked in, the blanket hugging them nicely. The second was a  
slice of pie on a plate near the foot of the bed, a fork on top. The third, they couldn't remember what they dreamed about, or  
why they suddenly wanted to get up and explore.

They took their trusty stick next to the wardrobe, placing it inside their shirt behind their neck. The smooth surface of it felt  
nice on their back; it gave them a sense of security. They checked their bandage on their right arm, grazing it with their left  
hand. The touch didn't hurt, which meant they could take it off and clean it soon.

Frisk pushed off the blanket, noticing their shoes were still on. It wasn't a feeling they weren't used to, but the child  
subconsiously disliked that it reminded them of something they've done before. They shook their head, focusing on the pie  
in the meek darkness of the room. Anticipation grew in their stomach. If anything was going to help them forget, it would be  
trying something they've never eaten.

They held the plate in their lap, sitting up on the bed again. They cut off a small piece, their mouth already watering by the  
smell. Instead of gobbling it down, they wanted to savor it. The piece entered their mouth, and they chewed.

It was better than they ever thought it would be. A happy, ecstatic sound escaped them, their emotions overflowing from the  
taste. It was a flavor they never tasted before, and yet...

They felt a nostalgia surge within.

**_Still good._ **

The thought was strange, like it was a voice not of their own. It was something they never questioned ever since they woke  
up, and met that flower. Ever since then, they could hear this voice pop up every now and then, like a bubble from a boiling  
pot. But whenever they focused on it, it seemed to simply vanish. Until the next time.

The child continued to eat, the rush of butterscotch and cinnamon washing over them. It was like they were remembering  
something nice they never knew, but it was only surfacing in their mind so far until it disappeared again. The feeling helped them  
finish the pie, a sigh of serenity on their breath.

Frisk rubbed their lips with their bandaged arm, cleaning off the crumbs. With a "hup," they jumped off the bed and went out  
the door, leaving the room in its meek darkness. A ticking of an unseen clock tickled their ears as they wandered up and  
the down the hall observing the plants and simple decoration. A wide mirror was at the very end, next to a door with a sign  
on it. The child wanted to clean up as best as they could before finding Toriel and Rock, so they walked to it.

A mess of brown hair, and a round stoic face greeted them. With experienced handiwork, Frisk combed their hair with their  
fingers for knots. Nothing too serious developed from their adventure, so they resolved to making their hair more kempt. It  
was as straight as they could make it. They smiled softly, hiding their teeth.

**_It's you!_ **

The voice came unexpectedly, but it didn't scare Frisk. Instead, the child waved to the mirror mouthing a "Hello." There  
wasn't any response. The child let their arm down, staring harder into the reflection. When nothing else happened, they  
gave up on their attempt and started walking to the opposite end of the hall.

The stairway caught their attention as they ventured through the house. They didn't know why, but for some reason the stairs  
felt ominous. Frisk shivered, turning their eyes away from it. They stood forward and headed to the living room.

Sitting in a sofa chair near the fire was Toriel, her eyes looking up from her book as she saw the child appear. Her smile  
was warm and inviting to them, making them naturally draw near to her. "Up already I see?" She lowered the open book to  
her lap for full attention. The child nodded to her with a grin. "Did you enjoy the pie? Mega Man certainly did," She giggled  
softly.

Frisk nodded genuinely. "I loved it," they spoke.

Her face lit up, the reading glasses on her snout gleaming. "Thank you, my child." Her hands shut the book and put it to her  
arm rest. "Truthfully, I am glad that the both of you are here. I have so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my  
favorite bug-hunting spot." Her mouth opened for more words, but they did not come. Her eyes looked away for a moment.  
"I wanted to tell you; Mega Man went back to the atrium to give another message to his aid." Frisk saw her face fall. "He is  
very caring to you, little one. He has a glow to him that I have not seen in such a long time." She raised her hand to the  
child's head, silently waiting for permission. Frisk leaned into the chair, feeling her soft hand caress their head.

"I have a favor to ask of you, my child." Toriel watched them move their head to listen. "Stay with me here for a while. I would  
like to read to you until your friend returns, if that is alright."

A bright smile broke through Frisk's hair. "Sure!" The child carefully crawled onto the arm rest, snug against Toriel's robed  
arm. A heartfelt laugh filled the air as the caretaker went to the first page of her book, her voice clear and consise as she  
read different snail facts.

__________

  
_"Toriel, I need to send another message."_

The robot had found the hidden switches that shut off the traps, pressing them all as he went. He sprinted through the  
hallways, his thoughts running through his head.

_"To your aid, Mega Man? Whatever for, if I may ask?"_

He wondered why he didn't realize sooner what these puzzles were for. They were meant to stall intruders, to halt danger.  
They weren't originally oddly pacifistic. No, they were changed. Altered by her, possibly.

_"They need to know I'm alright."_

It was the truth, but it wasn't the whole reason. He had asked for information from his father. He needed to know why the  
monsters are here, and why there was a barrier in that hole. He held his speculation back, as he would know why soon  
enough.

_"Be safe, little one."_

The caretaker was trustful enough. She and Rock wanted the same thing; to protect Frisk. But she was holding back  
information. She was still hiding something. And to top it off, she not once asked for the child's name. Something was biting  
at her. And Rock knew it.

_"Watch them for me."_

That's why he hasn't disclosed what he was yet. He hadn't shown his weapon to her, his power to dispel magic, nothing. For  
all she knew, he was a human dressed in armor. A protector of innocents helping a lost child home.

But Frisk no longer had a home. They gave up, then started again. They were probably barely shown any kindness where  
they lived; they latched onto Rock and Toriel like lifelines. So his original mission to rescue and rehabilitate the child was  
gone. Now...now Rock needed to figure this all out.

The room before the atrium was into view. It was still dark, minus the sky light. The robot shifted his left hand back to his  
buster, approaching the room with caution. _The flower_ , he tensed. _It was trying to steal Frisk's SOUL. It was trying to kill_  
_them. Need to be careful._

His scan zoomed across the floor, looking for any sudden movements. He walked slowly, his cannon at the ready. He went  
through the room, peeking to his right to the golden flowers shining in the light. The robot checked all his corners before he  
relaxed a bit.

He honed onto the distress signal for another message.

__________

  
For the past hour, Frisk listened intently to Toriel reading different books from her collection near the fire place. She made  
voices for the stories, making the child burst into endless giggle fits. She grew more and more comfortable with them  
as she read. The child eventually started sitting in her lap laying against her, listening to the vibrations of her voice from her  
chest. If someone were to enter the room, their heart would melt at the adorable sight.

Eventually, Frisk's innate thirst for adventure made them fidget. They wanted to explore the rest of the house, so they  
looked up to Toriel, tapping her arm.

"Yes, my child?"

"Can I explore the house? Please?"

The caretaker looked down to the cute face Frisk was making, a laugh building in her throat. She closed her eyes to regain  
composure. "You may. But," she added with a grin, "You must come back to me if you want another slice of pie."

Frisk gasped in excitement. They climbed out her lap, giving her a hug around her neck from the armrest. "Thanks!" They  
jumped off the chair and zoomed back into the hallway, leaving Toriel in an elated daze.

The child started with their given room. They fumbled to the lamp to turn it on, and began studying and inspecting  
everything. Every nook and cranny possible; they studied it. Inside the wardrobe were different assortments of clothing, all  
of them striped in some way. They dug through the box of shoes, taking mental note of each size and shape. They gave a  
glance to the toys at the end of the bed, and shrugged at them with noninterest. They even lifted the rug to see if there was  
a secret trap door, or a few forgotten gold pieces. Satisfied, they shut off the lamp and headed out the door.

They gave a quick listen outside the hallway, hearing the faint sound of Toriel flipping the page of her book. Frisk made  
themselves inconspicous as they tiptoed to the next room. It was a striking sky blue, making the child blink their eyes to get  
used to the change of color. They carefully looked about the bucket of snails, pondered at the cactus plant in the far right corner, tested  
the bed with their hand (not as soft as theirs), and stared at the scandalous sock drawer.

Frisk wandered to the desk next to the bed, seeing the diary entry circled in red. "Why did the skeleton want a friend?  
Because she was feeling bonely." It was such a bad pun, Frisk had to cover a snort. They left the room quickly before they  
were tempted to read more of her diary.

The child remembered that the door at the end of the hall was closed for renovations, so their focus was back to the main  
room. But Frisk could sense that uncomfortable feeling of dread crawling up their spine as the stairway came into view.  
They couldn't understand why their body felt like this when they looked down below. All the stairs did was enter into a purple  
hallway! Why did they feel so...scared?

A swell of stubborness made Frisk's brows furl into a frown. _There's nothing scary about a bunch of stairs_ , they rationalized.  
_I'm gonna climb them down, darn it!_ Their inward boast made them lose some of the bad feeling, mustering the courage to  
walk to the first step. But as their foot hanged over it, a new wave of unease halted their movement. They bit their lip in  
frustration of their body not wanting to continue. _Why is this...so hard?_

"Hey, I'm back!"

Frisk jumped in fright, whipping their head to the front door. Rock stood there, confusion on his face. "Frisk? You're awake  
already? It's barely been two hours." The child couldn't hide their shaking, giving the robot alarm. "Hey...hey, you alright?"  
He rushed over to them quickly, his arms out non-threateningly. "My gosh, you're shaking...what--"

Rock could hear the padded feet of Toriel nearby. "Little ones, what is wrong?" He heard her gasp behind him, and felt her  
presence come closer. She bent to one knee, looking over Frisk. "My child, are you alright?"

The robot saw their eyes seesaw between the stairs and her, their hazel color fully revealed. _I've never seen them so_  
_startled_ , Rock worried. A flicker of anger painted his brow, his promise well in his mind. _Did they see something that_  
_opened a repressed memory? Or..._

Toriel held out her arms, holding the child close. Rock patted their shoulder, his eyes wandering to what Frisk had looked  
at. _The stairs..._

The caretaker cooed softly to them, brushing their hair with her hand. Slowly, surely, the shaking stopped, until a heavy sigh  
released from Frisk. They felt themselves grow wearier by the second, even more tired than they felt before.  
"Mm...ok..jus..sleepy..." their arms fell, a small snore. They had passed out, completely this time.

__________

  
Toriel watched over the sleeping child for a few minutes, her eyes watching with worry. She had taken off their shoes and  
removed the stick from their back, but she didn't expect to see...the **bruises**. A tear fell from her eye, her mouth a thin line  
struggling to retain itself. The child slept peacefully, cuddled up in the blanket of the bed. Her left hand glowed green in the  
darkness, hovering over them. She nodded to herself, knowing that the injuries were no more. She slowly rose from her  
seat on the rug, brushing a lock of hair from Frisk's face, then left the room.

As soon as she shut the door, her eyes glared furiously to the blue armored boy in front of her. Rock wasn't fazed, but his  
expression wasn't a happy one. They stood locked at each other, both of them holding back their anger to one another. Both of  
their eyes demanded answers to the other, the tension in the hallway seeming to raise the house a few degrees in  
temperature.

"I think...Mega Man," she said through clenched fangs. "I think we need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not every day a goat monster and a blue robot glare at each other.


	9. Secrets are Shared, Hardships are Spared

The slumped skeleton continued slumping further in his chair, the wooden body of the shack-looking sentry station creaking in protest. He was pushing himself against the wall, his eye sockets morphing like clay as he groaned awake. He checked his right hoodie pocket with his gloved skeleton hand for his phone. He rose it to his cranium noncommittally, checking the time. It was getting late; only a few more hours left of "day time." Another groan escaped him as he let his arm fall in halfhearted irritation.

The slumped skeleton was still interested in the prospect of **New** , but he didn't like having to wait for it to show up. He was at first ecstatic (or in his case, smiling a little wider) that it was taking longer for the big doors farther ahead to open than his device normally detected, but as the hours went by, the skeleton was getting impatient.

But instead of grumbling and mumbling about it, he merely slumped. And he would keep on that slump until the doors opened. He just wished it would be sooner than later. If it didn't happen soon, the slumped skeleton would have to get up and leave, which would mean running into his brother, which would mean _another_ stern rant about him being a lazy bones.

Not that it wasn't true. But it did get a _little_ stale hearing it.

A muffled bleep rumbled from his other hoodie pocket, giving the slumped skeleton a wary pause. With just the tiniest addition of extra gusto, he reached for the device making it. The screen in front of his view was giving interest in several particular outcomes of the **New** thing beyond the door. His eye sockets curled into a tense expression; most of the outcomes had something...or some _one_... that ended up disappearing.

The reading almost made the slumped skeleton end his slump. But he didn't.

With a sigh that spoke a thousand instances of lethargic indifference, the slumping skeleton resumed his slumping.

__________

  
Rock's expression was unreadable, his hands folded on the table. He watched Toriel put her book away on the shelf. Her body language was giving off a very different reading from how she tried to portray calm. The movements were too rigid, too suppressed. He could see her claws clenching too tightly around the reading glasses on her snout, placing them on the mantel.

The robot watched her back, seeing her raise her head upward with a heaving sigh. She turned to him slowly. Her eyes, Rock noticed, were filled with a long-suffering ache. Her mouth was a subdued frown, her fangs seemingly more dull. It was like looking at a fire that had been burning on embers that should have been replaced long ago. Rock could see that she was hurting, and for a moment, his anger towards her diminished.

"Why were they hurt."

The robot almost didn't recognize it. Her voice had changed; it was no longer full of the motherly care he had felt before. Her voice was sharp, commanding. She wasn't asking a question, she was giving him a **demand**. His folded hands tensed as he fought himself to remain anodyne.

"They were like that when I found them down here." He held back his anger.

"What about before, or after." Her eyes seemed to glow.

"This is the first time I've ever met them. I didn't lie when I said they weren't hurt when we went to find you." He blinked. "I found them wandering up the mountain alone."

"Then where did the injuries come from?" Her eyes...her _**eyes**_...

Rock sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know. Like I said, I found them here. They never told me who hurt them, Toriel. I followed them because I wanted to help." He looked to her in earnest. "And I still want to help."

The caretaker's expression softened, but she still remained taut. "Explain your messages. Your aid."

Rock's lips tightened, but he answered. "I was asking for help from my father. He is a well known scientist, but has studied and learned many different trades, for personal reasons I can't exchange." He held his breath to her, hoping she wouldn't ask further about it.

Toriel's eyes finally began to withhold their glare. "So," she said quietly. "You are not related to them?"

"No. If I had known they were being hurt by someone I knew, I would have stopped it sooner." The robot felt like he could relax again, if only a little.

"Then...if this is true..." Her voice began to return to what it was, slowly but surely. "They had not fallen accidentally?"

Rock lowered his head, nodding sadly. "No." He heard her breath out a distressed "oh," hearing her voice quake slightly. "But, they were willing to try again, and I was going to help them by being their friend."

The robot looked up, and felt a squeeze at his synthetic heart. Toriel was now sitting in her chair, a hand to her cheek. Her focus was far away, her eyes half lidded. She was somewhere else, her body awash with remnants of a deep, deep pain. Rock's anger over what he discovered from his father's message was gone. He felt like he was seeing something he shouldn't have.

She was having a bittersweet memory.

"You...called them Frisk, right?" Her voice was thick. Rock nodded; he did say their name when he saw them shaking. "Both of you...remind me of my children, in a lot of ways. They were very caring to each other, but one of them...the one we adopted...I believed had a tragic past." She sniffled, a small tear escaping her eye. "I am very sorry for assuming you would do anything to them after showing so much kindness to them." She sighed, a sad smile breaking through. "You are a very good person Mega Man. So..." she managed to sit up, her voice more strong. "I would like to make it up to you. By telling you the truth."

Rock straightened his back in the chair. His eyes widened a little bit to her, his mouth opening partially.

"I had assumed you were curious about what you and Frisk had stumbled upon when you fell down here." Toriel hummed softly as Rock's eyes looked away. "I do not blame you if you had asked your father about this mountain's history. About the war between humanity and monsters."

"So the legends he told me he found," Rock spoke up. "The other species. Magic. The Barrier."

"Humans were afraid of us," She stated. "They fought us and trapped us into the mountain with a magic spell. For generations, we have been down here. Trying to find a way back out. There was not much hope for a long time. Until..."

Her eyes closed. "Mega Man. Those stairs. They lead out to the rest of the Underground. You cannot go there."

The sudden shift of mood made Rock blink in confusion. "What?"

Her voice was stern. "I know you want to protect Frisk. And I know you want to help them with a new life. But beyond the ruins..." Her face darkened. "It is dangerous. Please, stay here and find another way out with your father beyond that hole. I will help you protect Frisk. I will protect you." The robot saw her pleading with her hands, standing up from her chair near the fireplace. "Your father is a scientist, correct? There must be some way he can figure out how to weaken the barrier."

"I..." He was lost for a moment, until his mind began running. "I can ask him to try. He's been able to do a lot of things." Rock looked at his hands. "A lot of great things," he mumbled.

"You will? Truly?" Toriel held her hands in baited breath.

"Yes..." Rock ran the possibilities in his head, his belief becoming stronger. "Yes. I think he could figure out a way. But...it may take a while."

"That is no problem for me. I will take care of you and Frisk for as long as you need," She said, her mood lifting.

"Alright. That's good. That's good!" The robot's confidence in his father rose as things started to look up. His bright grin gleamed in the formerly gloomy mood of the room, his right fist clenched with a prideful pump. "I think he could do it. But..."

Rock pushed himself away from the table, raising himself from the chair. His expression was soft, apologetic. "I want to say sorry too." He raised his right hand to her, palm out. "I promise to tell you my messages."

Toriel bowed her head slightly, her pawwed hand miming his. "I promise to protect you and Frisk while staying here."

They shook hands, and Toriel set off to get ready for bed.

__________

  
If there ever was a slumping contest held in the Underground, the skeleton inside his shack guard post would be the unstoppable victor every year. His constant art of the slump had driven his skull to the near bottom corner of the wall, his chair haphazardly sitting outside it. His impatient groans had now become louder and more profound as the hours went by. His brother had come to check up on him, the big lug, but he had a face that screamed "INCOMING RANT" that would have ended his current slumping streak.

So the slumping skeleton had told his brother a brilliant lie that he was building a "Human Detector" inside his station that would go off if a human passed by it. With his trusty phone, he had recorded sounds of hammers, screws, drills and the like earlier that morning and put them to good use to sell his lie. And it was so impressive, his innocent brother immediately believed him without checking the station, congratulating him for not being a "lazy bones" and for getting a ton of work done.

" **a skele- _ton_.** "

The laid back baritone nature of the slumping skeleton's voice only made himself chuckle harder at the pun he had told his brother. It only fueled his brother's desire to leave him to his work, thus giving the slumping skeleton more time to slump. But as it turned out, the doors beyond the station did not open. And that only made the skeleton want to slump more.

His skull arched to the floor, staring at the phone he had left on the ground nearby. He poked the button on it, reading that it was almost time for the "night" cycle. His eye sockets closed with a sigh, and he grabbed the phone to put it back in his pocket. He lifted one of his legs, and disappeared.

__________

  
Rock had forgotten about the need of sleep.

He had told Toriel that he would be fine on her reading chair for the night, the concept of rest resurfacing in his mind only seconds before. Needless to say, he didn't _exactly_ require rest the same way. Robots like him had a low power mode, where they remain stationary with their senses dulled so their internal systems could save battery. He wasn't in any danger; his Power Core module could last for weeks without a recharge, and even if he needed a charge, the E-Tank he was carrying in his gauntlet could provide a few more days of energy.

What was currently going through his head was how to make himself look convincingly like he was sleeping, and **not** look like a robot. Eventually, Rock decided he would use a blanket to wrap himself up with and lay on the chair sideways. It was a fairly large chair, so his head was quite comfortable on the armrest while his legs were propped correctly on the other end.

"What a day," he sighed out loud. It was certainly something different that he couldn't fully wrap his head around, but that was a thing he would worry about later. For now, he would give himself a break. He rested his head against the armrest, dimming his eyes and closing them for some relaxation at last.

Tomorrow would be an interesting day.

__________

  
Toriel had been sitting on her bed contemplating for the last ten minutes, her diary held close to herself. For some reason, she felt odd writing her thoughts about the last hour in the living room. She and Mega Man had made amends, but there was still a linger of doubt in the back of her mind. The boy seemed to trust and respect his father to help his situation, but the caretaker was still perturbed that he didn't give more details about him, or his field.

She rubbed her furry scalp, mentally exhausted from the swing of emotions that was today. She hadn't had this busy of a day since...

The diary was shut and locked, and was placed on the desk nearby to distract her wandering mind. Memories were a finicky thing; they show up when you least expect them, or they bury themselves in the far corners to be forgotten for a time.

The caretaker breathed to calm herself, letting the embrace of sleep coat her body as she lay further onto the bed. She would not let memories overtake her like they almost did in the living room. It wouldn't help anyone if she became a sobbing mess. She must be vigilant. She must be strong.

Toriel's eyes finally closed, and she slipped away to dreamland minutes later.

__________

  
The cool and quiet left.

The skeleton had the distinct lack of slump as his bony fingers scoured the notebook page with graphite. His bony brow was creased with concentration, his focus a deep and habitual thing as he wrote words on the page. His pencil had shrunken considerably from constant use, and he would soon need to buy a replacement.

Even though it was a mundane change, it was still interesting that what had happened today was **New**. Nothing showed up beyond that door, he didn't have to greet anybody, or anything. His notes from before, from another time, had given him information about a human. A young human who would enter from that door, and decide the fate of everyone in the Underground.

His notes gave two _very_ different stories about the human though; one where they befriended everyone and helped save the monsters, and another one...

A chill made his bones rattle at his odd unreadable handwriting on those pages. Whatever had happened at that time must have been awful. He could only make out his brother's name, and the words "red eyes mean bad."

Whatever _that_ meant.

His newest notes finished, he placed them back inside the drawer closest to the tarp next to him. He stared into it, the screen of the device he had put away earlier still giving New readings. It made him feel a bit lighter for whatever reason.

The beady lights in his eye sockets lit up; it was almost time to read his brother a bed-time story. With a sigh, he pushed the drawer closed and went to shut off the light.

The cool and quiet returned.

__________

  
The courtyard in front of the quaint little home in the ruins grew dim as the artificial light drew its time for dusk. The monsters had all gone home to prepare for tomorrow, their lives a little livelier by the two guests from the outside world.

None of them had expected the people to be so friendly and understanding. The child and the armored teenager were more than happy to lend an ear, or give advice, or just give a pleasant smile and a greeting. Everyone in the catacombs had enjoyed them.

Everyone except a little golden flower in front of the house, who had hated every second of it.

Bitterly burning a hole through the door with his stare, Flowey sat in the courtyard fuming. Nobody, absolutely **nobody** had successfully killed the two meddlers. Even worse, the meddlers had made friends with everybody. He had expected the blue one to take out his weapon again and fire at everybody, but no. No, he never drew it afterwards, never needing it.

Both the blue boy and the striped child had been able to avoid being harmed. Which means Flowey still didn't know which one of them took his power. And now they were having a sleepover in the stupid goat woman's house. Probably staying a couple of nights before they decide to move on to the stupid underground. Sleeping stupidly...

...Peacefully...

...Innocently...

Flowey's fanged smile grew sharp with a click.

" _ **...Vulnerably.**_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dastardly schemes are afoot.


	10. Flower of the Hour

The house had now become silent, save for the ticking of a clock. The lamps had been turned off, the front door locked,  
and the occupants in their beds. It was a sight to behold if someone were still awake to see it; the rooms seemed eerie in  
the cloak of darkness, even with the warm colors on every wall. It was like an ominous hand from above had swallowed the  
abode in shadow. And it would only get worse as the flower slunk through the woodwork floor.

Flowey knew this house inside and out. He could pop out of the cracks and know _exactly_ where he was. He knew Toriel's  
schedule, how long she went out to run her errands, how long she slept. He knew her hopes. Her fears. And he also knew  
that she was a light sleeper.

If the plant wanted to succeed in his endeavor, he would have to be absolutely quiet. He had to do this right the first time,  
thanks to one of the two **pests** stealing his power. He would have to search the house to see where they had slept, but do  
so carefully. He couldn't afford mistakes.

Flowey dug through the floorboards, avoiding every noisy and creaky wood plank in his way. First, he would check the kid  
room; almost always was someone sleeping in there. With a padded pop, he opened his petals from his face to observe  
the dimly lit room.

Sure enough, the plant could see a small shape on the bed. No doubt it was the child. Shallow breathing, no snoring; good.  
That meant the little brat was in deep sleep. No way would they would be able to fight back that far in their subconscious.  
The building anticipation bubbled in the flower's stem, a wicked smile breaking way through the darkness.

Flowey stayed still as he planned his next move. Initiating a FIGHT would be out of the question; the child's SOUL  
appearing would wake them up. He can't use his magic bullets because of their weakness and noise. So that leaves...

Horrid intent glossed his simple eyes as two slithering thorny vines came from below him. He stretched his stem so he  
could see the little tike's face, positioning the vines with lightning speed and silence. All it would take was a quick twist, and  
the plant could finally find out if the child had taken his power. And if not? A free SOUL for him to use.

Flowey drew closer, wanting to get a good look at the possible thief, watch the life **drain** from them as he breaks their itty  
bitty neck, watch their _skin_ grow **pale and _cold_** \--

_"I don't like this plan anymore."_

A memory from long ago surfaced to the front as the plant saw the dark messy hair, the pained expression, the simple  
round face. His exhale was sharp as the unwanted recollection paralyzed him, and it costed him.

Flowey's breath seemed to have stirred the child somewhat, as they started tossing and turning, small sounds of distress  
and fear escaping them, a mantra of "No," a _raw_ pleading cry. It escalated in front of Flowey, and he couldn't look away,  
couldn't move until he heard padded footsteps and a door opening.

The flower slipped under the floorboards as quick as he could.

__________

  
It felt like a dream to rush to the room. It felt like a dream to open the door and see them tremble and turn. It felt like a dream  
when she held them in her arms, cradling them, rocking them. Everything seemed too surreal, too far, too segmented from  
yesterday. But as she looked toward them, she knew it was **not** a dream.

Toriel could feel the wetness of tears on the child's face as they finally managed to break from their nightmare. She could  
feel them try to hold the dam as much as they could, trying to be strong. She felt them cling to her tightly, shuddering breaths  
quaking their resolve. The caretaker had to squeeze her fanged mouth shut to keep from sobbing herself.

The child, Frisk, looked _so much_ like the child she knew before, especially now that she was here. They used to have  
nightmares of their past, used to cry out in their bed. She caught herself doing the same things she did to comfort Frisk as  
she had comfort them. She rubbed their back, hummed a low tune they used to like, gave little kisses to their forehead.  
Toriel clenched her fanged teeth behind her lips as she saw how they finally sighed and relaxed, almost _exactly_ how her  
little child from before had done.

But, there was someone else from the past that would have comfort them alongside her. Another child. Her _firstborn_.

She closed her copper eyes as she held them close, standing up from the bed to figuratively escape the memory. Without  
a word, she left the room and entered her own. The child in her arms had calmed, now slowly falling back to sleep. She lay  
on the bed, bringing the warm blanket up to both of them.

"Goodnight my child. Sweet dreams."

She felt herself slip back into sleep, but heard a little voice answer back.

"You too, mom."

__________

  
This was the third time today that Flowey was becoming very upset.

He threw bullet after bullet into the tunnel walls far below the house, his furious yells of frustration filling the small pocket he  
had dug out a long time ago. His thorns whacked the ground beneath him as his tantrum only got stronger. His voice grew  
louder and louder, filling the cave in sound and destruction, until the only thing he could hear was ringing.

Why did he **hesitate**? Why did he have to be **reminded** of that day when he was _so close_ to finally getting a SOUL? Why did  
the stupid brat have to _look_ like that? Why did they have to... _act_ like that?

The emptiness inside him only made him angrier. He couldn't understand, not anymore. All he had left from before were  
memories. Worthless, worthless memories. So why did he **stop**?

The flower bent his stem, his face against the wall. There was no more reason to vent now; he still had time left to enact his  
plan. A cruel smirk curled his mouth. That's right! Blue boy was still left to try. He hadn't woke up from the brat's nightmare,  
so that meant he had slept through the whole thing. What luck!

Flowey calmed himself and waited patiently. A half hour would be enough time for the house to be quiet again. Then, he  
could strike.

The flower popped up into the main room after the wait, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He arched his head to double  
check the hallway just in case, then proceeded to burrow underground to enter the living room. Flowey made sure to pop up  
in the farthest corner to observe where the blue boy was. His eyes now adjusted, he saw a large lump of blanket on the  
reading couch.

Flowey burrowed to get closer. Upon further inspection, he could see the blue boy's head and arms over the blanket, snug  
and peaceful like the goody two-shoes he is. The guy was still wearing his armor! Doesn't that get hot or something? The  
plant looked to the gauntlet on the left arm. That's where his cannon came from. A frown creased the plant's features as he  
remembered the horrible heat he felt when he nearly got burned. The goat woman's fire was hot, but that cannon felt like he  
was inches away from magma.

He would definitely kill this guy quick.

Flowey's vines were at the ready in mere moments, putting them in the perfect position for a swift death. He would probably  
have to tug harder since this human is more grown, probably having a stronger neck. He obviously has seen combat too;  
the plant had a smidgen of respect to how fast and efficient the blue boy moved when they first met. But, it wouldn't help  
him win the flower's favor.

Flowey held his breath as his vines drew close, keeping his mind focused. He couldn't afford any more mistakes. This **had**  
to be perfect. All it would take is one good **yank**. And then it would be over. Flowey watched the blue boy's face, his vines  
finally making contact to the helmet--

He was met with two bright glowing blue eyes.

Blue boy's hands were a blur. Flowey felt a sudden pain, stunned from the far too fast response. His vines lay uselessly to  
the floor with a silent thud. The boy had him in a choke hold on his stem with only his hand. The grip was stronger than steel.  
The plant's fear escalated as he saw a red glow from the boy's other arm; he had already summoned his cannon. His eyes  
were looking at him, _through_ him, with that powerful glare he had seen before.

"Figures," the boy whispered. "I was hoping low tactics didn't exist down here, but look where we are."

The plant could do nothing but choke out some air. Blue boy lessened his grip a fraction, but not enough for Flowey to  
escape.

"Alright, plant. I'm gonna give you a message. Listen **very** carefully."

Blue boy's words dug into him like hooks. His voice was so powerful even when he _whispered_.

"First, You will never do this again. You won't touch me, you won't touch the kid, you won't touch Toriel. Second. If you _do_ try  
to do this again, I'll catch you, and stop you. Third. You had the decency to introduce yourself, but I never got a chance to.  
So..."

His grip clenched.

"You can call me Mega Man. If I see you again, you will be **punished**."

The blue boy pulled, Flowey's vines shriveling up to him. He popped out of the floorboards easily; there was a mangle of  
roots and vines underneath, unusable thanks to the tight hold to his stem. Those glaring eyes were on him the whole time,  
the cannon rigid straight at his face, as blue boy walked softly to the open window in the main room.

"Goodbye Flowey. It _wasn't_ nice to meet you."

And with that, Mega Man reared back his arm, and threw the greatest fastball that ever existed.

__________

  
Rock waited in the dark for a few minutes, straining his senses and scanner to see if the plant truly was gone. Satisfied that  
nothing happened, he cleaned off the dirt from his fingers and looked towards the hallway.

Frisk had moved into Toriel's room. He could make out their heat signatures after he had pegged them VIP with his  
scanner, and he couldn't help but be happy with the sight. The child was cuddled up to the caretaker, the latter holding them  
close lovingly. Seeing them in such bliss only made him want to protect them more. And he _will_ protect them, Flowey be  
damned.

The robot looked to the floor in mild amusement; the plucking had dirtied the clean wood floor. He searched his old  
programming again for the thing he needed, and shifted his left hand into a broom end. He swept up the dirt quietly, his  
thoughts wandering as he pushed it out the door into the leaves.

Rock was very thankful that his instant fight shift was still as sharp as ever. In those few seconds, he had managed to  
disarm the plant. But as he looked in hindsight, his mouth fell in sadness. Something must have happened to the plant or  
his family to resent humans so strongly. He would need to keep a watchful eye for him for the next few days.

The robot shifted his hand back as he settled into the reading chair. The blanket over his body, he adjusted his head to look  
outward again. He closed his eyes, and went to low power mode to finish his respite.

__________

  
He had underestimated that boy.

Flowey was curled up back into the pocket he had put out his frustration onto before, but he was in a much different mood  
now. This boy, this Mega Man, was much stronger than he thought, so he needed to figure out another plan of action.

He can't risk trying to kill them anymore. A frown settled onto his simple features; he had to keep reminding himself that he  
couldn't use his power to try again. So, he would simply observe their every move, watch them go about their day, until he  
found the clues he needed. He would have to be patient.

He was good at being patient.

Flowey reluctantly relaxed his roots into the dirt, allowing himself to gather energy through sleep. It would be a very  
interesting day tomorrow, so he cut himself some slack. He was a very busy flower; lots of spying and loathing to be had.  
Ha. What a dumb joke. If only he could laugh at something like that. Oh well.

His petals closed onto his face, his eyes joining them. Many, many angry thoughts towards Mega Man crossed his mind,  
but he put them aside. Now's not the time to dwell on what ifs, or should haves. For now, the plant resided in rest, his  
conscious drifting into the dreamless void of empty.

 _That kid_ did _look a lot like them,_ he pondered lastly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever wondered what it would be like to be tossed like a baseball?


	11. The First Day Was Work and Play

The smell of something cooking woke up Frisk first.

Their dark eyes opened lethargically, the dim blue room greeting them. They looked down to see two fuzzy arms holding  
them close. A sleepy soft groan escaped behind them, the vibrations from Toriel's chest signifying her waking up. Frisk  
looked upward, seeing her look down to them in her embrace. "Good morning child. I hope you slept well." The child didn't  
respond, as the caretaker looked to the door, her small nostrils from her snout picking up the smell. "Is that...?"

Frisk threw the covers off, stretching with practiced ease. They could feel a well of energy within them, stronger than  
yesterday. _The sleep must have helped_ , they thought. They felt Toriel's hand on their head, rubbing affectionately. "Looks  
like Mega Man has already started breakfast, little one. Let us see what he has made."

A giggle came through as their hair was ruffled. "Sure, Mom."

Her hand paused. Frisk looked to her, seeing the happiest expression on her face they had ever seen. Her fangs only  
made her look the more adorable. "Would...would that make you happy? Calling me...mother?"

She mouthed an "oh!" as the child hugged into her, keeping herself steady on the bed with one of her arms. She could feel  
another set of tears on the brink, but he held them down with a barely contained laugh. "Well then, Frisk." She saw their  
face look up to her, their hazel eyes shining. "Call me whatever you like."

Their hazel eyes shined brighter.

The two of them left the room, following the sound and smell to the kitchen. There, stirring a pan of eggs, was Rock. He was  
whistling a tune that seemed _awfully_ familiar to Frisk, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it. He looked over his  
shoulder, a teethy grin showing itself beyond his helmet. "Morning! Hope you like scrambled eggs."

Toriel watched in awe as Rock finished the eggs, putting hearty samples on two plates next to him, forks and all. "Frisk,  
here's yours," he said as he gave the plate to their waiting hands. "And, um...here's yours Toriel." His confidence fell a little  
as her tall figure came closer.

It disappeared when he saw how pleased she looked as she held the plate. "A gentlemen, _and_ a cook! Thank you very  
much, Mega Man."

"Oh. Thanks!" He scratched his cheek with a finger in sheepishness. "I had wanted to show you my gratitude, so I used the  
last of the eggs you had to make breakfast. I hope you don't mind. Probably should've asked first."

"It is no trouble," she responded with a smile. "I am just happy you were thinking of doing something so thoughtful."

"Thank you, Toriel. Now," his body straightened a bit, almost soldier like. "I need to head to the atrium to send my father  
information. If he's gonna help break this barrier, he has to know everything about it. Do your books have anything on the  
subject?"

"Books?" She echoed, looking back to the living room. Rock could see the side of her face scrunched in thought. "Ah, I  
believe I only have history on the subject. The barrier was formed by a long forgotten magic that humans were imbued with.  
As for the magic they used..."

A twitch of her head was caught by the robot as she faced him. "I am afraid my books will not give you the answers, but you  
are welcome to study them."

"Have to start somewhere," Rock mumbled to himself. "Thanks, I'll take a look. Enjoy your meal."

__________

  
The child watched as Rock lifted heavy tomes on his hand effortlessly, their expression stoic with a hint of awe. Toriel ate  
silently, stifling a laugh at Frisk's growing stare at the robot's strength. The books looked hefty, but it was almost comical  
that Rock was handling them like they were dry sponges.

"You seem quite strong Mega Man," Toriel spoke with no doubt of being impressed.

"Thanks. It's a nice perk to have when you're--" he cleared his throat, "--when you're constantly on the move."

He balanced the half dozen tomes between his hands, looking to the child. "Hey Frisk, mind if I read these in your room?  
Need the quiet to...focus."

Frisk nodded casually, eggs currently being chewed. Rock gave a curt nod, and headed to the hallway whistling that  
_familiar_ tune. The child looked back to Toriel, her expression full of a somber yearning. She looked to Frisk, her smile  
returning. They smiled back, their mouth full of fluffy scrambled eggs. A soft laugh escaped her.

_**She got lost in her head again.** _

The voice was unexpected, but again Frisk was not scared of it. They enjoyed the invisible commentary whenever the voice  
decided to speak. But, the way it talked about Toriel gave hint that it knew her well. More well than it knew the other  
monsters. The child finished their breakfast with this information in silence, until the sound of a door opening and quick  
heavy steps made them turn their head in curiousness.

Rock was at the front door, looking towards the two at the table. "Toriel, I found some stuff that was interesting. Thanks  
again! Be right back in about ten minutes!" He disappeared beyond the door, shutting it in a hurry.

"Goodness. He already found something after only a few minutes of reading?" The dubiousness in the caretaker's voice  
was obvious. "He must be excellent at skimming."

Frisk gave a half-hearted nod, their focus on finishing their food. _Rock's not being as sneaky_ , they thought. _Wonder if that_  
_means he'll tell the truth?_

__________

  
The atrium seemed faster and faster to get to the more Rock sprinted to it. The monsters were easy to understand that he  
was in a hurry, leaving his path empty for him to run. He waved his hand with friendliness as he made it to his destination,  
preparing a new message to the distress beacon.

He had scanned the books in secret when he had gone to the room, but he realized in mid Morse code that he had left all  
too early to make it seem like he took his time. No doubt Toriel was suspicious of him, but he wasn't going to worry about it  
until he got back. Focus on the here and now.

The books were full of uncharted history from the monsters viewpoint; long lost traditions and spells locked away from the  
human's use, simply because they eventually forgot what lay under the mountain. Most of what Rock found made his  
synthetic head spin; it was simply too much to take in, knowing that there was a hidden time of the world where monsters  
and magic were commonplace.

And there was a **war**.

If there was something the robot hated, it was combat. He chose to wear his armor not because he wanted to, but because  
he _has_ to. His sympathy went to the creatures in the mount. They had fought a battle they had to fight, and didn't win. He  
was all too familiar with humans reacting outrageously towards something out of their bubble. Something... **New**.

He heard a soft pop in the distance.

Rock's Buster was already out the moment he stretched his arm to the darkness. His eyes flashed, looking for any sudden  
movements. He had heard that sound before, when he had plucked the freaky flower. He held his message on hold, tensing  
his body for the inevitable fight.

But nobody came.

Rock's brow hardened with a frown. "If you're going to spy on me Flowey, you should've been more quiet."

There wasn't a response, but the robot kept his gaze and his weapon towards the gloomy tunnel. His other hand went back  
to his helmet's side, clacking it with his finger for his makeshift Morse code. For some compelling reason, he felt it  
necessary to talk aloud, just in case the plant was listening.

"I'm trying to _help_ you, you know. You monsters seemed to have gotten in a bad case a long time ago. The world has  
changed up above, for the better I believe. There are conflicts, but nothing you guys couldn't handle after the human race is  
introduced to you guys again. I mean, you all have been really nice and understanding after the initial scare, but I can see  
why you would be at first after seeing a human again after that."

The clacking of his finger stopped before continuing.

"Look, I don't know what happened that made you so hostile. You probably had to fight, or had a death in your family, I can  
only guess. But maybe if you trust me, and see what's up above...maybe you won't be so angry."

There was only the sound of a waning breeze from the skylight.

Rock sighed, resuming his message. He could understand though; it would take more than a pep talk to veer the plant's  
view. Maybe he was talking to no one at all. Or...

The robot thought it would be a good idea to speed up and head back to Toriel's.

__________

  
"Frisk? Would you like to see something?"

Toriel's fanged grin was brimming with childlike jollity, bending down to the child's height with her question in the air. She  
looked like she was about to share a wonderful secret akin to two little tots giving gossip. The change in behavior made  
Frisk's eyes widen in anticipation, the idea of finding something new to discover all over their face. They nodded ardently,  
following the caretaker to the front door.

"Do you remember what I said about showing you my favorite bug hunting spot?" Toriel was excitedly hurrying to the ebony  
tree as she spoke. Resting on its roots were two small nets, camouflaged by the black bark surrounding them. She handled  
them carefully, handing one to Frisk. "Today we will do just that."

"Really?" The child was enthusiastic. "Can you show me how to catch bugs? I've never done it before."

"Certainly," the caretaker replied. "But before we go, I will fetch us some leftover pie for our lunch. I will be right back."

She hurried inside. Frisk walked to the window, looking to her until she disappeared in the kitchen doorway. They felt that  
familiar surge within them as they stood in the crinkling leaves. In front of them, a golden twinkle came into their vision,  
giving them the extra bit of innate power to fulfill its purpose.

They were filled with **determination**.

A soft pop was heard behind them, giving them a small rise in fear. They looked to the ebony tree, noticing a small  
shrunken lump in the ground nearby it. The fear resided, but they looked onward with puzzlement for a moment. Then they  
simply shrugged, and started practicing with their little net to catch bugs.

__________

  
Rock was rushing to the courtyard when he saw the two of them. Frisk was standing at the bottom of the ebony tree,  
catching a few growing leaves that had fallen almost immediately with a cute little net. Toriel watched with a content  
expression, her robes gently swaying as she was humming to herself. She brightened as she glanced over to Rock, the  
latter noticing there was no suspicion on her person for the moment.

"Mega Man, I was wondering," Toriel inquired with her voice sounding jolly. "Would you like to join me and Frisk with bug  
hunting after your work is done?"

"Bug hunting?" Rock looked down to the child, seeing them vibrate with energy. The sight gave him a grin, deciding to her,  
"Why not? I'm already finished by the way. My father is running probable scenarios and tests as we speak."

"Splendid!" Her eyes sparkled. "Let us begin our quest to catch as many as we can." Her mock tone of seriousness made  
Frisk snort in protest. Rock huffed disapprovingly, but gave a smile knowing it was all in good fun. "Follow me, little ones."  
She walked onward to the waiting purple hallways, robes swaying more and more in her increasing good mood. Rock  
stood alongside Frisk, the both of them nodding to one another, and followed the caretaker out for a relaxing day.

__________

  
He couldn't believe his luck.

Flowey only had to wait a few hours after he had slept. He observed the blue boy first, adamant that he was the one that  
stole it. He had so much strength, so much _will_. But he had caught him doing nothing but use his strange suit to relay a  
cryptic message, and then try to give him a speech when he had caught him snooping. The boy was relying on others to do  
their best, to make sure they took their time.

But then he watched the kid. Outside in the courtyard, the kid had summoned it. That little flash of gold that sparkles when  
you feel that churning in your body, that powerful feeling that you could change fate. It was **them** , it was **them** _**all along**_. At  
first, he was incredibly pissed. How could a little squirt take over his immense well of **determination**? How could a kid  
override him?

But then he remembered.

Their SOUL was _red_. They were the embodiment of the human race's stubbornness to the world. They had fallen, and  
simply got up and started walking again. Flowey wanted to slap himself for forgetting such a crucial detail at their first  
meeting. Somehow, the kid's potential exploded when they fell into the Underground, and now they were in control.

 _But_ , Flowey frowned. _They won't get to keep it._

The plant continued his watchful eye, looking onward and listening in the far corners of the catacombs for any more  
secrets to be uncovered by the blue boy and the child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been discovered at last.


	12. The Next Morning, There Was A Warning

The skeleton had waited.

And waited.

And _waited_.

Until he eventually got the idea in his skull that perhaps the big door ahead wouldn't open _today_ either. Even worse, his   
scheduled time to share jokes with the lady behind the door was for naught; she never showed up, and while that was   
something entirely New, it gave him worry in his ribs. Whatever had changed, whether it be a thing or a person, was certainly   
making its sweet time getting to the rest of the Underground.

" **just my luck.** "

The irritation in his low complaint echoed through the frost covered trees beyond his sentry station. His chair was now   
sitting lopsided in the snow. He was currently on the floor, proceding with new ways to slump. That, and keeping an eye on   
his phone and device in both of his gloved hands.

The night-time cycle was in an hour. His brother would be here in ten minutes. Another day wasted. But, in the end, the   
slumping skeleton didn't mind too much. The thing beyond the door can use up as much time as it wants to. Not like it was   
going to matter anyhow. He always had tomorrow, right?

A scoff blew through the skeleton's closed teeth.

With the laziness of a thousand overweight office workers, the skeleton simply lifted his arms and disappeared.

__________

  
What an excellent day it was.

Toriel had managed to captivate both Rock and Frisk in the bug hunt, little beetles and the like scurrying and jumping   
around to escape their flying nets. The robot had never imagined such a simple thing was so entertaining. He only became   
happier with each golden squeal of laughter the child gave at their tossings of net. It made him feel like he could finally relax   
for once, and his systems were thankful for it.

The monsters were more respectful to Rock, giving conversation and being nice to Frisk. The robot could truly see that the   
creatures trapped down here were originally desperate, but they _were_ good people. Although, in the back of his mind Rock   
had wondered why the first monster he encountered, Flowey, was so adamant on collecting the child's SOUL. _Was there_  
 _something the plant could have done with it?_ The thought made him tense.

But now that they were back at Toriel's home after a long day, he had more pressing matters.

"I need to go check the atrium before we go to bed," Rock announced at the table.

Frisk was between them, in their own little chair eating leftover pie. "Sure. But I'm gonna eat all the pie," they grinned.

"Not without a stomach ache, my child," the caretaker tutted next to them. "Be careful on your way there, Mega Man."

"Thanks," the robot responded, getting up from his chair. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

Rock was gone. Frisk stretched their arms, a yawn in their mouth. They looked to Toriel with a cute inquisitive expression.   
"Can you read me another story, mom?"

The caretaker's robes seem to shine as the smile grew on her face. "Of course, Frisk."

She sat on her chair with a new book, Frisk in her lap like before. She read to them while they waited for Rock to tell them   
the news.

__________

  
 _"Rock. It's been tough, but I managed to find some more information about this...barrier you've stumbled upon. As you_  
 _know, there was an undocumented war with monsters thousands of years ago. Humans had won by a landslide; according_  
 _to the old legends, there was not a single casualty on their side. They had trapped the remaining monsters underneath_  
 _Mount Ebott. This barrier is made of a special magic that was once a mystery. But luckily, my son, technology will help me_  
 _understand it_.

_"I believe that I can discover what this barrier was composed of, and possibly find a scientific method of creating a hole, or_   
_even outright destroy it. But it will take some time, Rock. I can at the very least tell you what my findings are in the morning._   
_At seven sharp, your usual wake-up time, I will have my findings recorded. Don't worry about me or your sister. We'll be fine._   
_Just be careful down there, son. Until next message. Goodbye."_

The books Rock scanned had helped. In a matter of hours, he would know what it would take to break the barrier. He could   
hardly wait until morning. He sprinted as fast as he could to the house, his excitement fueling his speed. The ebony tree   
was in view as he made his way around it, his steps slowing as he got to the door.

"What d'you think of Mega Man, mom?"

He stopped his hand at the doorknob in hesitation. He listened.

"I think he is a fine young man. Why ask?"

There was something in her voice that made him press on his lips.

"Are you...skep...skeptical about him?"

A breath through his nose.

"I...I think he means well. He has his heart in the right place."

A slight frown on his brow.

"But...you're not sure?"

His mouth was open.

"Ah, do not worry too much, my child. I have a little doubt, but I am sure we can settle it."

 **There** it was.

Rock had a sliver of hope that Toriel had forgotten about his quick "study" that morning, but it seemed she had been   
holding her thoughts about it. He sighed quietly as he made a show with his feet making the illusion that he was now   
walking to the door. He made sure to make himself look around like he didn't know where they were yet as he shouted,   
"Hey! I'm back!"

Frisk was snug in Toriel's lap, the latter having an open book. She looked up as he entered the living room, her smile warm,   
but not like before. "Welcome back, Mega Man."

Rock nodded to her. "I have some good news," he said.

The both of them straightened up, their faces mentally preparing. Rock resumed. "My father told me he can find out what   
makes the barrier work. He'll send me a message with his results in the morning."

The both of them looked relieved. "And," Rock added, "he may even be able to make a hole from that atrium."

Toriel's face was a mixture of emotion, but it seemed to finally settle on happiness. "That is wonderful news!"

Frisk was smiling. "That means we won't be stuck anymore?"

"Yes Frisk. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm still going to help you." Rock looked to the both of them, his expression   
warm. "It looks to me that you seem happy with Toriel. You're even calling her 'Mom'."

The child hugged Toriel's robed arm. "I like her. A lot."

A soft laugh was her response, holding them close. "Thank you, Frisk. I like you a lot too." She nuzzled their hair   
affectionately. "Now, I believe we should get ready for bed. Mega Man, are you using the chair again?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine," he responded. He walked up to the two of them as they got up from the chair. "You two have a good   
night."

Frisk smiled. "Good night, Rock."

__________

  
"Frisk?"

The child had paused inbetween the doors in the hallway. Toriel had begun to enter her room until she noticed them. Their   
face was neutral, but their little hands were antsy. She was going to repeat their name, until they looked to her.

"Mom? Can I sleep with you again?"

She didn't hesitate her answer. "Of course, my child."

The child seemed relieved. "I'll be right back," they said, then went inside their room.

That stick they had found was still next to the wardrobe. They went to it and held it in their hands. The growth on the end had   
grown into a leaf, despite it being severed from the tree they had found. It was a smooth wood, calming them, giving them   
security. They took it in their left palm, relaxing their grasp.

They came back into the hallway, Toriel eyeing the prize in their hand. "Little one, is there something special about that   
stick?"

Frisk nodded. "Protection."

Their answer seemed final to her. She made an effort to give the stick a serious look. "Then we will have it by the bedside."

A small giggle escaped the child. "Thank you," they yawned.

Whistling tickled their ear, coming from the other end of the house. Rock was doing that familiar tune again. It flickered a   
flash of memory in their head, but it was too quick to catch. Their tiredness ebbed at their curiosity, so they decided they   
would ask him about it in the morning.

The child followed the caretaker into the room, the bed awaiting them for a night of slumber.

__________

  
Seven sharp. The robot's eyes were open immediately.

He scanned the hallway, seeing the two sleeping forms behind the walls. Relieved, he leaped out of the chair onto his   
hands to give a quiet landing. The two of them woke up a few minutes after he did. He could afford to go and check the   
message; that plant wouldn't be able to try anything.

He was out of the house and down the hall in mere seconds, his path through the catacombs now natural. He had a giddy   
nervousness in his systems, wondering about his father's success. Just a few more minutes, that's all it would be.

Rock was at the atrium before he knew it, his hand already to his helmet's canal. He pinpointed the distress beacon, still   
unmoved, and searched its databanks for the new message. There it was, only a minute off the seven o' clock mark. He   
listened in.

...

_"...Rock, I...I have some bad news."_

His smile was gone.

_"I spent all night figuring out the depth of the barrier's power. It was indeed composed of what I could only describe as_   
_magic, but...it was connected to a person's life force. Son. This means the barrier was built upon sacrifice. The men and_   
_women who had formed it long ago gave their lives to form it. According to the old records, seven of them."_

Rock's hands were vibrating as they were clenched deeply.

_"The records never gave the information of the details, but seeing now how it was built...I am sorry son. That barrier is_   
_locked up tight from any means I have at my disposal."_

The robot was nearly crestfallen.

_"But..."_

Rock perked his head.

 _"There...is a way to break it on_ your _side._

_"On the other side of the mountain, near its apex, I could detect six life forces that were powerful. If...if the old rumors of this_   
_mountain are true...then those children who fell before are possibly still stuck in that mountain. Waiting. If you can go_   
_through the mountain, you have a better chance at figuring out this whole thing. But, I don't know if the monsters will be as_   
_friendly as the ones you've told me of. Either way, I believe you can do it, son. Be brave. Be strong. And if you must, fight for_   
_peace. Goodbye, and good luck."_

The message ended in a beep, leaving Rock in a stunned haze. His eyes wandered to his left arm. His Mega Buster.

He sighed heavily.

"Damnit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No skipping past this bridge.


	13. Following After, There is Disaster

The house's mood was gradually getting tense. Frisk and Toriel had woken up an hour ago, their bodies rested and their  
expectations high. They had already eaten the last of the pie in the fridge, and read another book in the chair. Toriel's inner  
fear was building after every minute Rock didn't show up. Then, it dawned to her that she hadn't talked to her friend behind  
the door yesterday.

She checked the clock; it was almost eight thirty. Her usual chat time would be in half an hour. The fidgeting in her lap led  
her eyes down to Frisk. "Mom? You ok?" They asked.

Her breath was becoming short from stress, but she managed a calm answer. "I am a little worried about Mega Man.  
Hopefully he is just listening to a very long message, or talking with the monsters."

The child's expression was unreadable behind their hair. "If he takes too long...can we go find him?"

"Yes, we will," she answered. "In the meantime, let us relax."

And they both tried to relax, they really did. But there was still a heavy air in the home, and a subtle edge in Toriel's voice as  
she read aloud the story book to Frisk. And the child felt a bitter silence in their head, as if the voice no longer wanted to let  
itself be known.

 _I hope Rock's ok_ , they thought.

__________

  
Rock was not ok.

The robot was pacing around the flowerbed, his features darkened and sharp. Dozens of thoughts had run through his  
head several times, each one giving him a disgruntled noise. His steps were heavier, his posture low. His arms were in  
front of him, grasping at the air as he tried and tried to think of **something** he could do.

He had never been in this situation; he had the possibility of **real** , **honest** _**murder**_ on his hands if worse came to worse. All  
the robots he had ever fought, the Robot Masters, none of them were really _destroyed_ by him. They were given new bodies,  
given new functions. A second chance. But now...now there was a brutal consequence if he had to fire his weapon.

He wished his systems could recognize the monsters for who they were; people. They were _alive_. They had hopes, fears,  
ideas. But he was grasping at nothing. It wasn't possible. And he dreaded it with all of his systems. That's why he hadn't left  
the atrium yet. He didn't want to go.

But he had to.

Rock finally stopped pacing, his head up to the skylight. There was barely any light shining down, a figurative picture of his  
inner turmoil. He closed his eyes, breathing in a deep inhale. A sigh. A defeated shrug.

"Alright. Time to move."

His feet started off hesitant, but he gradually found the will to walk onward. A good walk, to calm his mind before he  
reached his destination. A weak chuckle bubbled in his throat. _This all started with me taking a walk to relax_ , he thought.

The irony wasn't lost in him as he entered the darkness.

__________

  
The book was no longer the focus of either the child nor the caretaker. Frisk could feel the growing nervousness in their  
stomach rumbling. It made them feel like they were sick, but they pushed themselves to be strong. Toriel had opted to  
suggest making a small sandwich for the both of them to eat for breakfast; she hadn't gone out for fresh groceries yet.

Her mind was elsewhere as she gathered the ingredients needed for a sandwich. "Frisk, would you prefer peanut butter or  
butterscotch?" She said distractedly.

The child managed to keep themselves lighthearted. "Both, please," they answered quietly.

"Ah, of course," she responded, carrying the small plastic jars. "We will need these." She showed them two small spoons,  
before leading her eyes upward in realization. "Oh dear. I am sorry my child, but there is a quick errand I must run  
downstairs."

The child looked up, their eyes open a little and their stoic expression faltering a bit. The caretaker rubbed their scalp  
assuredly. "No need to worry. I will be back in a few minutes. In the meantime, I would like you to try making a sandwich.  
Use the bottom of the spoons to gather your portions. Use them separatedly. See you in a few."

She was speaking in a hurry, her voice disappearing beyond the kitchen doorway as she left the child alone. The  
nervousness in Frisk's stomach continued its uneasy squall. They looked to the jars, and the intimidating spoons.

They walked into the living room.

The stairs looked menacing as ever, even with the fact that Toriel was down there. If she could go down there easy, why  
couldn't they? Their stubbornness started to swallow their fear, but it wasn't enough. With purpose, they moved onward to  
the caretaker's room.

The stick was still there by the bedside. Frisk rushed to it, grabbing it, and all of a sudden they felt braver. The horrible fear  
inside them washed away, their stubbornness welling up into a familiar feeling. One they welcomed with a small smile as  
they felt the coolness of the stick on their back. One they welcomed with a deep, invigorating sigh.

 **Determination**.

The muffled sound of the front door opening took their ear's attention. "I'm back," Rock called. Relief flooded within their  
body, the room forgotten as they approached him in the main room.

"Rock!" They cried, pep in their run. Rock was hugged into with an "oomph" as the child squeezed his chest, a small laugh  
coming from both of them. They looked upward with a gleam of hope behind their heavy lids, the hazel just visible enough  
to make out. "Where were you?"

The robot's quietness and downcast eyes were fully featured as Frisk saw his face. A sigh through his nostrils made their  
mood slowly fall. "I have some bad news. Where's Toriel? I need to tell both of you."

Frisk instinctively hugged tighter as their head turned to the staircase. "She's down there."

Rock followed the child's eyes, his brow lowering. A feeling of gloominess befell his features. "Wonder if she already knew."

"Your dad can't help?"

Rock looked back, a solemn nod to Frisk as their hug ended. "No, he can't. But there is another way."

The child was catching the gloom. "You look like that way isn't good."

"Hah," the robot laughed humorlessly. "You're right." He sighed. "I have to leave, Frisk."

"...What?"

"I have to go into the Underground. My father told me there were six other humans down here. Six other SOULs. They're the  
key to breaking the barrier." Another sigh. "But I don't know what the rest of the monsters are like. I don't even know how  
they've treated the kids. They could just be waiting, or forced to be in a dungeon, or...or worse the monsters are--"

" **No**."

Rock stopped at Frisk's sharp announcement. For just a second, he could see the glimmer of red before it flashed away.

"They _can't_ be. The monsters here are so _nice_. Even after they tried to attack us, even if they were scared of us first, scared  
of _me_..." Frisk gulped, their voice straining from so much use. "They treated me better than **anyone** I ever met. They...they..."

A hiccup. A crack in their voice. A tear.

"They deserve better."

Rock left his arms out, hugging the child. They were choking on their sob, barely managing to suppress their emotions. But  
eventually, it was locked back up.There was a long silence between them as Rock heard their breathing calm. Their  
whisper was low, but as soon as Rock heard it, he could feel that arguing with them would be meaningless, even if the road  
ahead would be dangerous.

"I want to save them."

The robot patted the child's shoulder, a silent confirmation to their wish.

__________

  
It was a few minutes more that Toriel finally emerged from downstairs. Her padded footsteps only strengthened the grim  
acceptance in Rock's mind of his circumstance. He remained silent as she carried herself up the stairs into view, her eyes  
downcast and her expression solemn. The robot could feel a ping of sympathy to her body language; it seemed she wasn't  
expecting good news all along.

Her eyes finally met Rock and Frisk, standing near the front door. Her smile came back, though it was not as bright. "Mega  
Man, I was so worried! I am glad you are well."

Rock's resolve locked in place, his body rigid and his face placid. "Toriel, there is something I need to do in order for the  
barrier to break." His voice didn't shake. He could see a flicker of hope cross the caretaker's features, his synthetic heart  
giving a lurch as he continued. "My father told me this morning, that if I want this barrier gone..."

"...I have to leave the Ruins to do so."

There was a hard, horrible, **terrible** silence in the room.

It was like watching all of the life being sucked away from someone. Slowly, awfully, Rock watched as Toriel's features  
finally gave in to her inner turmoils. Her eyes glassed over, looking to the side. Her mouth, her fangs, her horns, seemed to  
grow duller and duller. Her body slunk, her fur lost its pristine shine. It was at this point that the robot could finally see what  
she had been hiding, and he wished he had never told her anything.

She was in so much **_pain_**.

Frisk reached out for her, their confidence ebbing away from her sudden dispirited form. But, a flash of hidden fury  
brightened her glossy eyes. Her movement was sudden, swift, **primal**. She ran back down the steps in a flurry of movement,  
a glimpse of grief fueling her outburst visible to the child. She was gone in seconds, leaving the both of them in a confused  
state.

"Mom!"

All of the fear and doubt disappeared from Frisk as they shouted to her, their feet going down the steps in pursuit. Rock  
jumped over the wooden rail, meeting the child halfway. The hallway below was a long, sickening purple, and in the far  
distance was the robed figure of Toriel. Frisk rushed down the long hall, Rock next to them. Toriel disappeared from their  
sight as she turned left at the corner.

Frisk turned the corner first, seeing her stop in front of a door. They slowed their step, their eyes fixed on her back. Rock  
turned from behind them, his fists clenched tightly. "Toriel," he spoke. "What are you doing?"

"This is the exit to the rest of the Underground."

Rock's brow furrowed. _Her voice_ , he thought grimly. _It sounds like before...when she thought I hurt..._

She continued, her back against the two of them. "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it  
again and again."

Frisk's hands were shaking. Their eyes widened.

"They come," She said. "They leave. They **die**."

Rock closed his eyes, his teeth grinding against themselves. He looked away from the scene in front of him, his mind now  
sure. _Those readings weren't showing living humans_. His eyes opened to see Frisk's whole body quivering, their palms  
dripped in sweat.

"Rock," Toriel spoke, saying the robot's real name. "If you, or Frisk, leave the ruins...they... **Asgore**..." she spitted the last  
word, the name, in pure disgust, "...will kill you." Her head turned a bit, her snout barely visible as she continued. "I had  
wanted to protect the both of you from that, do you understand?"

"What are you doing," Rock breathed.

"I am going to destroy the exit," she said, finally turning to face them. "So neither you, nor Frisk, nor anyone else has to  
leave. To die."

"You...you _can't!_ " Frisk cried out. "I want...I want..."

Their voice gave out on them. Toriel looked to the both of them, her mouth a thin line, her eyes browed with a steely stare.  
"You want to leave so badly?"

Frisk gasped in horror as the familiar tug in their chest displayed their SOUL. Rock's mouth was agape, his hands finally  
out of the grip he held. He was paralyzed in agonizing astonishment.

"There is only one way to solve this," Toriel stated.

Flames appeared in her hands, growing steadily stronger. Rock could hardly believe what she was doing.

"Both of you," the caretaker shouted.

"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're here.


	14. Heartache Untold as the Clashes Unfold

Rock's first instinct was to summon his Mega Buster and end the fight before it began.

Rock's second instinct was to grab Frisk and run past her.

Rock's third instinct was to disarm her using the choke technique that worked on Flowey.

None of these he could do, for Toriel was too fast.

Burning hot flames scattered the room, surrounding Frisk and Rock in a flurry of heat. Rock's initial shock was blasted  
through with an anger stronger than the fire. Quickly, he dipped and weaved through the fireballs, grabbing the child and  
moving their head down. The balls barely missed them overhead, hitting the walls with hard thumps. The robot looked to the  
child's SOUL. It was still glowing bright.

Rock fixated on Toriel, his powerful glare burning a figurative hole in her head. His outburst couldn't come fast enough, for  
the caretaker was already summoning **more** fire from her hands, throwing them in swift movements. With a grunt, the robot  
held onto the child and jumped away from the oncoming blaze, another barely avoided scorch.

Amidst all of this, Frisk had become silent, their expression blank. The robot managed a glimpse of it, his heart falling as  
he dodged and weaved. Rock decided he had enough, and put Frisk behind him out of Toriel's line of fire. His left hand  
transformed quickly, the shape of the cannon viewable from the caretaker at the other end of the room. Her eyes only  
flashed a second of confusion, before finally noticing the other oddity Rock possessed.

"Where is your SOUL," her voice commanded, echoing with the strength of a monarch.

Rock, with his Mega Buster aimed toward her, answered through his gritted teeth.

"I don't **have** one!"

The cannon fired at the flame above her hand, dispelling it with a wave of plasma. A terrible black indent adorned the door  
where he had aimed, melting the stone of it like ice on an active stove. Shock awoken Toriel's inner fighting skills, her body  
dancing out of the way as Rock fired more shots at the fireballs nearby.

Her eyes looked back to him, her fangs twisted in an accusatory grimace. "Impossible! How can a human not have a  
SOUL?"

More flames erupted within her hands in a fountain of hot, bouncing on the floor. Their target was obvious as they all  
headed towards Rock. They were coming too fast for him to fire upon. He grabbed Frisk from behind him, making a broad  
leap to the other side of the room. The fire slammed into the wall, the purple bricks groaning from the sudden pressure.

Rock looked over his shoulder, holding the child near his chest. "I never told you I was a _human_!"

At last, the caretaker finally gave pause to her attack. Her eyes studied him carefully, looking for a clue hidden in his armor.  
"Then what _are_ you, Mega Man?" She said with a tinge of apprehension.

Rock almost laughed at the implication. "Why are _you_ asking the questions?"

Toriel didn't have enough time to answer back. All at once, she felt the breath taken out of her, the boy's face the only thing  
in her view. He had lept into her, his body slammed against her chest. His arms held down her hands, his knees on her  
stomach. He felt unnaturally dense to her, his arms pushing down with immense strength.

"You know what I'd like to ask?" Rock shouted. "What **happened** to you? What happened to all that kindness, all that care?"

Toriel struggled against him, her magic gathering slowly in her hands.

"I was trying to _help_ you! I was _helping_ Frisk! They liked you so much, Toriel!"

She felt his glare burrowing into her, his hands nearly crushing her.

"How can you call yourself a mother to them? How are you any better than what's out that door?"

A flicker of memory. A garden of yellow. A large robed figure standing over a child's body. His weapon...

She felt herself snap.

" **Enough!** "

Her yell penetrated Rock's iron grip, her hands now aflame. She pushed him off of herself, throwing him across the room.  
Rock landed with a loud "CLUNK" against the ground, skidding across the floor. The sharp sound made  
everyone's ears ring.

Frisk looked over to his splayed body on the ground in worry, not seeing him move for a moment. But there was no need;  
Rock used his hand to support him, getting up with hardly a problem. He dusted himself off, the soot on his armor cleaned  
from his chest. He focused back to Toriel, seeing her figure adorned in a dark energy.

Her fury was a boiling pot of grief and hatred. Her features were harsh, her body bent over in tribulation. She was wracked  
with some unknown ache Rock couldn't _begin_ to understand. _Just yesterday_ , he thought, _she was just a doting mother._  
_Now... she is almost unrecognizable._

"You will **not** compare me to the ones that follow his ideas. You will **not** compare me to **him**." Toriel's commanding power  
wavered, her voice tense with pain. "I am trying to keep you two from a horrible fate."

"By throwing fire at us?" Rock shouted incredulously. "By trying to scare us off? By _trapping_ us?"

"I cannot let you throw away your safety. I cannot experience another...another failure," Her voice wavered still, but she  
remained steadfast. "So you must show me you can survive."

"But why put Frisk through all this?" Rock pleaded, his head nodding to the child next to him. "They're just a kid, Toriel.  
They've already had enough of a hard life."

"Rock."

The little voice echoed in the room, catching Rock and Toriel's attention. Their hands were gripping the stick, their face was  
full of courage. The sweat on their brow was wiped with their bandaged arm. They looked to the robot.

"Please. Let me try."

Frisk's SOUL seemed to shine brighter, giving Rock a moment of awe. For a split second, he wanted to argue against it.  
But that familiar feeling he felt before, when he had them whisper in his ear, washed over his systems. He couldn't give  
himself the words to talk, because of the sheer force of will behind the words. The sheer power...

...of **Determination**.

Frisk walked in front of the robot, their SOUL bobbing in front of them to their movements. Toriel's expression became  
softer, more suppressed as the child led their feet to her. Her hands moved like water, flames flowing like splashes from a  
downward river. The flames led themselves to Frisk, giving Rock panic that they were too scared to evade.

But the child simply stepped left.

Another flame. They ducked.

Another flame. They bobbed right.

Rock's jaw dropped. Frisk, _somehow_ , was dipping and weaving through the fire with agility he  
hadn't expected. They were moving with such speed, holding on to that little stick as their body danced around the fireballs.  
It was as if they knew where to move, only needing to see where the fire was heading.

Rock then saw that whenever Toriel gave pause, the child simply put their hands behind them. For a moment, she didn't  
respond. Then, it dawned to the robot that her attacks were becoming **slower**. Her features were growing softer. Frisk  
continued putting their hands behind them. Until finally...

"What are you doing?" The caretaker asked. "Attack me or run away!"

Toriel gave one final effort of an attack. Her hands made erratic movements, the flames jaggedly zooming to and fro. But  
still Frisk dipped and weaved, not losing a bit of energy as they completely evaded each and every fireball like nothing. The  
robot's jaw fell further down, completely at a loss for words.

"What are you proving this way?" She breathed.

Eventually, the caretaker's assault diminished into a weak tether of fire harmlessly gathering nearby. She had grown tired,  
her fury nearly dried up. "Stop...looking at me like that."

"We have to go, mom." Frisk put their hands behind their back one last time, finally putting the stick behind their neck,  
under their shirt. It was inconspicous enough to not be seen, the puffy nature of their striped sweater hiding it perfectly.  
"Please. Let us through."

Toriel's hands shook, her breath held for one final retort. But it didn't come. Her hands fell, her body hunched over in defeat.  
Her glossed eyes, her dull features; all of it came back in full force. An empty laugh blew from her fanged mouth, a single  
tear flowing down the side of her snout. "Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child."

The brightness of Frisk's SOUL disappeared as it vanished into their chest. The FIGHT was over.

__________

  
Rock managed to break from his spell of awe, his feet moving before he knew it. He rushed over to Frisk, watching them  
with utmost care. They seemed happy that they were able to reason with Toriel, but they looked exhausted. The robot then  
looked to the caretaker, who had been awfully silent.

"Toriel?" Rock tried.

"Hah. I apologize," she breathed distractedly. "I am just...very weary."

"I'm sorry. That leap I did--"

"I deserved it," she stated. "My mind was clouded. I am so very sorry. Truly."

Rock sighed, his finger scratching his cheek in thought. "It's ok. But I'm still sorry. And we're all ok after it all. "

His Mega Buster formed back into his hand. He flexed it habitually, giving Toriel remembrance.

"Ah. Forgive me for asking, but...was what you were saying true? You are not human?"

Rock closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, they glowed a bright blue. "I am Number Zero Zero One  
of Doctor Thomas Light's List of Created Robots. I am Rock, formerly created as a Lab Assistant and Son. I was  
reprogrammed to become the Super Fighting Robot known as Mega Man after the first schism of Doctor Albert Wily."

Toriel's face turned in surprise. "You are a machine," she announced. "Now built with the intent of combat?"

"I had asked my father to do it. It's a dangerous job, but someone had to stop Wily."

Another laugh escaped her. "You are so believably just, despite being a machine."

Rock grinned. "You can thank my father for that. He is the kindest, most caring person I know. I may not have a SOUL, but  
even still; I know what I fight for is right, thanks to him."

Rock felt a small hand clasping his. He looked down to Frisk, a small smile on their face. "Thank you," they whispered, their  
voice weak from too much use.

"You did great, Frisk." The robot ruffled the child's hair, a soft giggle his prize. "But...now we need to address the situation."

The caretaker's expression fell. "You both have to leave."

Rock nodded. "If it helps me break the barrier, I'm going to do it." He looked to the child next to him. "And I'll protect Frisk  
the whole way there. I swear it."

Toriel's eyes closed, a deep breath enveloping her focus. A sigh. "Then my expectations...my loneliness...my fear..." A sad  
smile. "For both of you, I will put them aside."

"Thank you Toriel," Rock said in earnest. "We'll see you later."

Her fanged mouth squeezed, holding back a sob.

Frisk and Rock glanced to each other in silent conversation. The child walked to Toriel, looking up to her. The caretaker  
gasped as they hugged against her, a muffled sniffle in her robe. She couldn't hold back anymore; her arms enveloped both  
Rock and Frisk as they were cushioned into a group hug, tears finally being released. The cries of both the child and the  
caretaker reached to the farthest corners of the Ruins. Rock held them both, giving them support with his immovable arms  
of steel, and his synthetic heart of gold.

It felt like hours had gone by as the hug continued, the crying subsiding bit by bit. It was as if a horrible weight had been  
lifted from them. As they finally ended the embrace, their bodies looked brighter. Their faces were wet, their eyes  
bloodshot, but they looked highly relieved.

Toriel withdrew a hankerchief from her robe pocket, washing off the tears from Frisk's face before hers. The child stood tall,  
their inherant strong will giving them courage. Toriel the caretaker, the goat woman, gave them one final wave as she slowly  
walked back to the corner.

"Be good, will you?"

The robot and the child waved back, until she disappeared.

__________

  
Beyond the door was a long and narrow hallway. It stretched for a while, giving time for Frisk and Rock to think. Their  
footsteps vibrated the walls, a farewell to the Ruins given by their boots. Rock didn't know what lay ahead, but he would  
never give up. Frisk felt the presence come back, a small feeling that they were accompanied by someone in their mind. It  
made them smile, and they walked with more purpose.

The doorway ahead led to a familiar looking room. Like before, a skylight above shined down upon a spot of grass. The  
surrounding darkness gave it an eerie tone. Rock half expected to see that crazy plant show up like it did before when he  
was trying to run away--

A plant with a face sprouted from the ground.

"SHHHIFTING SAND!" Rock halted in sheer shock, his Mega Buster already summoned after he had _just_ used it. Frisk  
was behind him in seconds, their scared eyes directly on Flowey.

"Oooh, nice save there blue boy!" The plant cackled with a distorted grin.

The robot regained his composure, his anger returning. The cannon arm was raised. "Why are you back," he glowered.

"Well, it just so happened that I was in the neighborhood! And boy did I hear such an **interesting** conversation about you."  
The flower bobbed his head like a snake. "Golly, who would've known you were a robot! You even got _me_ fooled for a bit  
there."

Rock bared his teeth. "You were spying on us?"

"How couldn't I? You guys were making such a racket! I just **had** to know what was going down." Flowey's chipper tone   
grew dark as he continued. "Not only did I waste my time on you, but I could've gotten what I wanted if I had played my  
cards right!" His mouth and eyes morphed into a horrible fanged visage. "But you just had to keep playing 'Guardian' to that  
little **brat** cowering behind you."

Rock's cannon barrel glowed red. " **Watch it** , plant. Get to the point."

Flowey grinned maliciously. "I'm not scared of you anymore, robot. I've been watching you and that kid. Both of you seem to  
be playing this little game. Hee hee..." the plant chuckled darkly. "Sparing the lives of everyone with your goody two-shoes  
shtick. And something tells me you won't be breaking that game's rules anytime soon."

A smirk crossed Rock's lips. "You got to experience first hand what I can still do even with my 'game' on the line."

The plant brushed off the comment with a scoff. "I'm not here to settle a score with _you_. Not anymore anyway."

Frisk hid further behind Rock with a whimper. The robot's icy glare had Flowey in its sights. "I'm not letting you touch them."

The plant grinned. "Of course you aren't. But I'm gonna remind you. Both of you." The plant straightened his stem, his face  
morphed back into a simple mouth and eyes. "In this world, it's kill or be killed. And sooner or later, you and that kid are  
gonna realize it when you die. And die. And die."

Rock hid his puzzlement. "What are you talking about?"

Flowey clicked his tongue. "Golly, the brat hasn't told you yet? They **stole** something from me." His face morphed into a  
deranged toothy smile. "I'm going to get it back, one way or another. I am the prince of this world's future, and I will reclaim  
what was **mine**."

The robot felt Frisk's body tense against his armor. " **I**. **Am not**. **Letting you touch them**," Rock repeated. "I don't care what  
they stole from you. From your track record, I don't think you would've used whatever it is for the right reasons anyway."

Flowey's grin was impossibly getting bigger. "Then you'd better keep up your guard, robot. Don't drop it for even a second."

The plant's demented face morphed and shifted, three times bigger than before. A maniacal laugh attacked Rock's ears  
inside his helmet, the awful sound penetrating his synthetic senses. The venomous chortling ended as Flowey dug back  
into the earth, his vile threat sent.

The robot stood still, looking back to a shaking Frisk. "Hey, it's alright." The robot formed back his hand, patting the child's  
shoulder. They flinched, searching his expression. "Don't worry," Rock soothed. "I'm not mad. But, I do want to talk later  
about this thing. Right now, we've gotta move. Ok?"

Frisk exhaled with a small relief. "Sure."

__________

  
The skeleton had notes about what the lady beyond the door had asked him. He would usually do a quick joke that would  
get her to open up, and she would ask him to make a promise. But he was thrown for a loop when she asked him to protect  
**two**.

 **Two** humans.

There was no denying the second human was the blip on his device. That human was the **New** thing. A ghost of giddiness  
shook his bones as he sat in his sentry station. He couldn't slump right now; he had to hold back his laziness for just a bit  
today. Any minute now, he would hear it.

On cue, the groaning echo of the large door beyond his station filled the snowy place with sound. It seemed to go on and  
on, its wall of noise a choir of old stone grinding. The cacophony of the Ruins' door finally stopped, the quiet resuming its  
faithful work. The skeleton sighed.

" **took 'em long enough.** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So good news! I had some extra time yesterday to finish this chapter. Now, I will be taking a two week break to catch up on this story, along with real life stuff. Keep on reading, and have a nice day.


	15. Everything

**The New**

 

**has changed**

 

**everything**

 

**I will not have**

 

**any**

 

**power**

 

**But it is not all hopeless**

 

**There will be**

 

**more**

 

**chances**

 

**More**

 

**New**

 

**For me to observe**

 

**To test**

 

**To**

 

**CONTROL**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_"...But will it be enough for you?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone schemes.


	16. Beyond the Door, Skeletons Galore

There are times in Rock's day to day where he happens upon something special. This happening is an inevitable event in  
the course of his robotic life that occurs somewhat moderately. He wills himself that next time, _next_ time he can be  
prepared for whatever happens.

But when the door groaned opened, and the sudden blast of cold hit him, and the snowy trees loomed ahead, and the  
ground was powdered with a hefty blanket of the stuff...

Rock was already mentally floored, but he remained stock still to keep his amazement from exploding. Frisk on the other  
hand, had the brightest smile on their face. Their foot stepped onto the white with a wet crunch, the sound of simple joy  
chirping from their lips. The child tested the snow under their tiny shoes, walking around with curious wonder. Rock was still  
at the doorway, his expectations overwhelmed. The two caught eyes with eachother as the robot tried to form words.

"...Snow?"

The simpleness from the robot's mouth seemed to trigger a laughing fit from Frisk. Their happiness grew contagious as  
Rock finally stepped out of the Ruins, his own testing of the snow on his boots underway. The robot felt as if he was going  
insane; he looked back to the open door to make sure it was still there, that he didn't just somehow warped into the middle of  
winter.

The door groaned slowly shut as he stared, the adventures of what lay beyond no longer accessible. The robot frowned for  
a moment, until he sighed and turned to Frisk. "Guess we're moving no matter what, huh?"

Frisk looked deep in thought, looking towards the closed door. "Hey, Rock?"

"Mm?" The robot hummed.

"We never asked about that." Frisk continued. They pointed their finger above the door. Rock followed  
with his eyes, recollection flickering as he looked upon the door frame. There was a circle with simple wings and three  
triangles below it, with the middle triangle upside down. He remembered seeing it on some of the door frames in the Ruins,  
even on Toriel's robe.

"You're right. But why are you wondering about it now?" Rock asked.

Frisk's expression grew puzzled. "Dunno. Feels important."

Rock studied the design further, searching through his databanks. "The books I read only gave history of magic and the  
slow growth of the monsters underground. It never explained about that..." Rock tossed his hand out to the snow. "...or this."

"Really?" Asked Frisk.

"Yeah. The books were pretty vague." Rock shook his head. "Worst history books I ever read."

The child's raised eyebrow wasn't caught as Rock turned back to the forest. "Anyway, I think it's time we move. Ready?"

Frisk tilted their head, then shrugged. "Sure."

Ahead, the snow was carved into a narrow path. The trees were incredibly tall and thin, the two adventurers having to arc  
their heads almost ninety degrees to see foliage. Not only that, but the way they were laid upon the landscape seem very  
methodical, as if they were planted there. _The monsters must have somehow planted these to obtain oxygen under the_  
_mountain,_ Rock thought. _But how did they make an atmosphere?_

The robot looked farther, noticing there was a faint light above the trees providing a false sun. He could see the mountain  
roof in the dark beyond it, stalactites barely visible. _They managed to do all this with just magic?_ Rock's curiosity matched  
his amazement.

A large stick was left in the middle of the path ahead. The contrast gave enough warning for Rock and Frisk to step over it.  
The robot looked to Frisk, their eyes wandering as much as his was. This must be like entering a story book for them, he  
thought. They must be having the time of their life, even with danger still poss--

**SNAP.**

Rock's body tensed up as he made an about-face. His urge to summon his weapon itched at him, but he kept his cool. The  
stick had been broken in the middle, splintered effortlessly. Frisk gasped softly, their eyes searching the wood surrounding  
them. Rock's scanner had picked up nothing; not even a hint of Flowey.

"Stay close to me," Rock whispered.

Frisk complied, their left hand holding on to Rock's right. The robot flexed his left hand, ready at a moment's notice to  
transform. They slowly continued forward until they saw something up ahead. A large gate, made out of thick logs  
haphazardly strewn about. The two would've been more amused at the sight if they weren't on the lookout.

The scaffold across the pit of the gate came into view as they stepped onward. Rock tested it with his boot, the wooden  
bridge creaking under it. "We'll have to cross individually," he whispered. "My heaviness will make it fall if we cross at the  
same time."

Frisk's hair hid their face as they lowered their body to make themselves small. "But...the stick..."

"I'll go first. If something happens, I'll carry you and jump across." Rock gave a confident smile. "Don't worry."

The echo of a loud crunch of snow came from behind them. The robot's smile faded, his eyes beginning to glow. The  
crunching became louder. Whatever had broken that stick was now heading their way. Frisk was utterly paralyzed with fear,  
goosebumps bubbling on their skin. Rock dared not turn, instead leaning himself in front of the child to keep them safe. His  
mind was straining as it told him "DANGER, DANGER." The robot held his resolve of keeping the weapon a secret. _Maybe_  
_the monster behind us doesn't know what we are?_

"H u m a n s ."

_Damnit._

"D o n ' t   y o u   k n o w   h o w   t o   g r e e t   a   n e w   p a l ?"

The baritone of the powerful voice behind them was overwhelming. Rock could see Frisk's whole body shiver at the low  
tone. It sounded like it came from everywhere with it's impressiveness.

"T u r n   a r o u n d   a n d   s h a k e   m y   h a n d s ."

Inch by inch the two turned their heads back. Before them was a monster covered in shadow, despite the brightness of the  
light above. Its presence seemed to make the air around it shimmer in dark mist. It held out its hands in silent patience.

Frisk was sweating droplets, their forehead drenched from the terror in their heart. But, they looked deep within to find the  
courage they needed, and slowly raised their right hand to shake. Rock glanced to his left arm, an unspoken promise to  
himself in his mind. He raised his left hand to shake.

The monster before them shook their hands.

At first, Rock thought he had officially lost all of his sanity. He thought his mind could no longer compute the situation he was  
in. But as his hand was gripped tightly by the monster before him, the noise that followed made his eyes widen in terrible,  
awful, _**horrible**_ realization.

In his hand, alongside Frisk's, was the sound of whoopee cushions.

The noise lasted for a few seconds, the flatulent vibrations extra effective in the quiet of the forest. In an instant, the cloak of  
darkness disappeared from the monster. Behind the disguise was the toothy smiling grin of a cartoonish looking skeleton,  
wearing a blue hoodie, black sport shorts with a white stripe in the legs, and pink fluffy slippers. Its faded blue mitts  
revealed the little red culprits of the sound in its palms. The skeleton gave a hearty chuckle, the beady white lights in its  
sockets looking back and forth between the two stunned victims.

" **heh heh. the ol' whoopee cushion in the hand trick. double funny if you use two.** "

Rock's gaze was still on his hand. Frisk's stoic expression was nearly compromised.

" **heh. what's wrong, buds? did i prank ya too hard?** " The skeleton grinned, his mouth not moving when he spoke.

The robot's head shifted slowly to the monster in question. His gaze was still blank. Frisk hadn't moved.

The skeleton chuckled again, putting the cushions in his hoodie pockets, and keeping his hands inside them. His toothy  
grin was shining bright, his expression cheerful.

" **so, heya. i'm sans. sans the skeleton.** "

__________

  
Sans was _absolutely_ having an internal burst of emotions.

Before him was the **New** thing in the Underground. A boy, almost a head taller than him and the kid, wearing some sort of  
blue body suit that looked like metal in some places, and tight cloth in others. He looked like he came straight out of a sci-fi  
movie he saw once, which only made his emotions harder to hide.

Sans nudged his skull back as he took a better look at the two. The kid was exactly how his notes described; only an inch or  
two shorter than himself, wearing a blue sweater with purple stripes and matching pants, along with long black socks and  
little shoes. Their expression was no longer terrified, but now unsure with the crinkling of a smile from his prank.

" **so anyways,** " the skeleton continued with his lazy drawl. " **you two are humans, right?** " He saw a flicker of something from  
the boy in blue. " **that's hilarious. i'm actually suppose to be on watch for humans right now. but...y'know.** " He shrugs. " **i don't**  
**really care about capturing anybody**."

The blue boy's skepticism oozed from his deadpan expression. "So you thought of terrifying us instead."

Sans chuckled. " **yep. if it was too much, i guess i'm sorry. but i didn't mean any harm, buddy. honest.** "

The kid's smile grew stronger. "I wasn't too scared," they whispered hoarsely.

Blue boy looked down to the kid, a pondering look on his face. "So if you're not capturing us, what are you doing?"

Sans leaned his skull to the left, his beady eyes looking behind the two. " **i was gonna mention that my brother, papyrus, is**  
**trying to capture humans. hey, i've got an idea actually. cross through this gate**." The blue boy looked warily. " **no worries, the**  
**bridge is very sturdy. it can carry all three of us.** "

Blue boy and the kid walked past the gate with hesitance. They walked into a larger area with a wooden shack at their left.  
In front of it was a large tacky lamp. " **kid, hide behind that conveniently shaped lamp. blue boy, you can hide behind my**  
**station. plug your ears though.** "

The two stood for a moment, their eyes meeting each other. Blue boy gave a nod, which seemed to be enough for the kid.  
They both headed to their hiding places, a thumbs up to signify they were ready.

" **blue boy! ya see a phone?** " Sans asked.

"...Yeah," he answered. "It's got a red button on the screen."

" **press it, then get ready.** "

There was silence for a few moments, but Sans heard the faint beep.

A loud siren shrieked from the station, its pitch wailing through the forest in earnest. But in the distance, another sound  
began making its way towards it. Sans could see a blur of movement beyond the trees, his grin more genuine as he could  
see his brother sprinting like a madman. He couldn't help but snicker as his brother was screaming his way to the station,  
his hollow eye sockets filled with excitement.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"

His white armor shined in the pale light above.

"--AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"

His red scarf rippled in the wind.

"--AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"

His gloved hands were a flurry of red as he tossed them.

"--AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"

His red boots made a messy trail in the snow.

"--AAAAAAAAAAAALT OH HELLO SANS."

His scream ended abruptly just as the siren's last wail gave out. If he had a throat, it would've been red.

" **hey bro,** " Sans said casually.

__________

  
Rock had opted to take a peek over the sentry station window, hiding in the darker corner. He saw a much taller, more  
angular skeleton in a body armor standing alert in front of Sans. The skeleton was nearly two heads taller than the short  
prankster. _So that's Papyrus_ , the robot mused.

"SO DEAR BROTHER!" The tall skeleton announced. "WHERE IS IT?"

" **where's what?** " Sans grinned.

Papyrus nearly choked. "WHY, THE HUMAN OF COURSE! YOUR HUMAN DETECTOR WENT OFF, DIDN'T IT?" His  
hands were at his hip bone, his face lowered down to meet his brother's skull.

Sans shrugged. " **it did. but it wasn't a human who did it.** " He leaned his head toward the tackey lamp. " **saw this lamp when i**  
**got here.** "

"BUT...BUT...HOW COULD A LAMP TRIGGER A TRAP?"

" **i think my detector might be on the fritz. guess i wasn't as _bright_ as i thought.** " Sans winked for emphasis.

"SANS," Papyrus warned.

" **hey bro, c'mon. _lighten_ up a bit.** "

"SANS," Papyrus groaned.

" **what? i'm just trying to make the situation _light_ -hearted.**" Sans winked again.

Papyrus stomped his foot on the ground, grumpiness overcoming him. "GOOD GRACIOUS, SANS! STOP YOUR AWFUL  
PUNS."

" **c'mon,** " The prankster egged on. " **you're smiling.** "

"I AM...AND I HATE IT!"

Papyrus sighed, looking away for a moment. "YOU KNOW BROTHER, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU NOT BEING A  
LAZY BONES FOR ONCE, BUT I WISH YOU'D CONSIDER LESSENING YOUR ESCAPADES."

Sans arced his head as he pondered. " **i'll think about it after my break's over.** "

The tall skeleton arched one of his thin sockets to imitate a raised eyebrow. "WHEN DID YOUR BREAK START?"

" **just now.** "

Papyrus made his teeth grind, his bones slightly rattling. "BAH. I'LL CONTINUE ATTENDING TO MY PUZZLES. AS FOR  
YOUR DETECTOR..." He rubbed his cheek bone in thought. "TRY TO BE _ENLIGHTENED_ ON HOW TO FIX IT! NYEH  
HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH..."

The tall skeleton wandered off, his laugh echoing in the trees.

"Huh," Rock breathed for the umpteenth time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my break. Hope you guys weren't too impatient. ;)


	17. A Preview of Puzzles and Poochie Muzzles

(Minutes earlier...)

"SUCCESS!"

The tall skeleton's arms were aglow as he raised them in joy. He had _finally_ finished his pattern puzzle, his face implanted in  
the snow with the corresponding buttons in their right places. It had taken him a few days of blood and sweat (not really any  
blood), but it was all worth it in the end.

His perpetual handsomeness stared onward from its location in the white. He felt a need to pose, so he fipped his cape in  
the wind, his skeletal grin arched with the happiness of a job well done. His day was really looking up! Papyrus held his  
pose for an invisible audience, or perhaps for any passerbys who happened upon his greatness. "NOTHING SHORT OF  
AWESOME FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" He beamed.

Then, he heard it. The faint echo of a large screech in the distance. At first, his bony head didn't recognize the sound. His  
thin eyesockets scrunched in concentration. He knew he had heard the sound before. It had something to do with his  
brother...?

Recollection slapped him across the face, his body alive with action. "THE DETECTOR!"

Papyrus was off like a bullet, his feet gaining record-breaking speeds as he zipped his way to his brother's sentry station.  
His maw opened wide, his voice blasting out to the call of the human detector. He needed to make a good first impression  
to the human, so he needed to show his confidence and authority.

And that he did. With shouting.

__________

  
" **ok. you can come out now.** "

Frisk had left their hiding place moments after Rock exited the station. They stood in between the robot and Sans, who was  
grinning jovially. Rock's expression mimicked the poker face the child usually stuck with. His eyes were searching for  
something on Sans. Frisk looked on in silence as a feeling of tension started to fill the air.

"So that was your brother," The robot stated plainly.

" **yep,** " Sans nodded. " **he's so cool, isn't he?** "

The robot's stare remained fix. "Why are you helping us?"

Sans gave a shrug. " **s'not really my thing to capture humans. too much work.** " His perpetual grin seemed to grow. " **actually,**  
**i had wanted to ask you n' the kid for a favor.** "

Frisk perked up their face. "A favor?" They whispered.

The comic nodded. " **my brother's been feeling kind of down lately. he's never seen a human before. and seeing you might**  
**just make his day.** "

Rock's brow lowered. "I see."

" **don't worry. he's not dangerous.** " Sans flickered his eyes to the right. " **even if he tries to be.** "

Rock looked to Frisk with another silent conversation. The child was pondering strongly, their sense of adventure breaking  
through. The robot's brow deepened further, the fidgeting from Frisk giving him enough of an answer. "I'm not completely  
sold on the idea, but I suppose we c--"

" **thanks a million,** " Sans interrupted with a particularly strong grin. " **i'll be up ahead.** "

The comic lifted one of his legs as he spun a one-eighty in place, his slippers on the ground in a brisk walk towards the  
opposite direction. Rock had barely any time to respond as Sans walked behind one of the tall trees. The robot followed,  
but saw that he had completely disappeared; his footsteps in the snow had simply halted behind the tree.

The robot's mouth curled into a small sneer in the span of an instant. His hands shook in silent frustration, but he managed  
to close his eyes and relax. Frisk had walked up to him, their small eyes slightly opened in worry. "Rock?" They whispered.

The robot shook his head. "Sorry about that. It's just...that Sans guy..."

He took his spot next to Frisk, and the both of them started walking. Rock's mouth didn't move as they headed to a clearing  
with smaller trees surrounding them. His thought process slowed as they wandered the odd path, the child stopping for a  
moment in a particular spot. Rock was too deep in thought to notice the odd pause they did, like the ones they did before.  
The robot escaped his thinking as he noticed them lagging behind, an answer to them about the skeleton formed.

"I'm not sure I like him."

__________

  
The Great Papyrus was not feeling very confident or authoritative.

His good mood was only held by his full completion of his puzzle. It was a fantastic accomplishment no doubt, but the idea  
of finally capturing a human rang hard when he had heard the detector. But despite the unfortunate bugginess of it, he  
remained positive as he strolled through the snow.

The skeleton noticed the familiar sound of slippers slowly follow next to him. "HELLO AGAIN SANS," he nodded his head  
down to his brother. "WHAT DO YOU NEED?"

" **thought i'd talk with ya a little,** " the comic replied.

"YES, OF COURSE," Papyrus grinned. "WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND, BROTHER?"

The two skeletons stopped in the path, the taller noticing a small hesitance from the shorter. " **how uh...how're your puzzles**  
**doing?** "

"THEY'RE DOING FANTASTIC!" Papyrus responded immediately. "I RECENTLY JUST FINISHED MY PATTERN  
PUZZLE. THE ONE WITH MY FACE?" His gloved hand pointed to his skull.

" **huh. that so? sounds awesome, papyrus,** " Sans grinned brightly.

"YES! IT DOES." The tall skeleton paused awkwardly in a pose, before he gradually relaxed himself. "HOW ABOUT YOU?  
ANY IDEAS FOR THE DETECTOR FORM DURING YOUR...*AHEM*...BREAK?"

The comic shrugged. " **they'll come to me. eventually. that reminds me...** " his beady eyes looked toward their hometown.  
" **we're gonna need to report to undyne soon.** "

"THAT'S..." Papyrus's sockets grew surprised brows. "THAT'S RIGHT! SANS, YOU'VE BEEN IMPROVING ON  
REMEMBERING! THAT'S AS GOOD AS ME LEARNING A NEW SAUCE FOR SPAGHETTI." His smile grew brighter.  
"YOU'VE CERTAINLY SURPRISED ME WITH ALL OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS. I BELIEVE, DARE I SAY IT, YOU ARE  
A FEW STEPS CLOSER TO BECOMING GREAT."

Sans chuckled. " **not as great as you, bro.** "

"WHEN THE TIME COMES, I HOPE YOU CAN HANDLE BEING THE SECOND GREATEST," Papyrus said fondly.  
"ANYWAY, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE REPORT?"

" **you'll have to give it. i'm on break, remember?** " Sans saw the small irritation in his brother's eye socket. " **hey, at least i'm**  
**making some progress.** "

"YOU LAZYBONES!" Papyrus groaned. "UGH, FINE. BABY STEPS, I SUPPOSE. ANYHOW..."

The skeleton's train of thought had wandered. Sans leaned his skull to the path behind him, already expecting the two  
bystanders. The kid's neutral expression was shared along with the blue boy, the both of them simply standing in the snow  
as Papyrus gazed onward towards them.

Sans had to get a hold of himself as he turned his head to see the completely awesome stare his brother was giving. He  
turned his body as Papyrus turned his, the both of them taking turns looking to the two onlookers and each other. Soon  
enough, their constant change of movement spiraled out of control as they both sped in place like twisters, much to the  
confusion of the blue boy and the kid.

Suddenly, the skeletons halted in place. Papyrus leaned his head next to his brother's. "SANS. THOSE TWO THERE," he  
whispered loudly. "ARE THOSE...HUMANS!!?!!??!?!?"

" **actually,** " Sans responded, " **i think one of them is a rock.** "

The blue boy's eyes became alive with realization.

"BUT THE OTHER ONE? YOU'RE SURE?" Papyrus looked ready to explode.

Sans leaned his head in as slow as he could, his beady eyes fixated on his brother. His ultimate response was hiding away  
behind his teeth that never moved when he spoke. With a small nudge upward from his skull, he answered his dear  
brother's query with utmost certainty.

" **yes.** "

Papyrus screamed to the heavens beneath the mountain, his exclamation heard everywhere in the forest. "SANS, I  
FINALLY DID IT! UNDYNE WILL...I'M GONNA...I'LL BE SO..." His bones rattled as his mind ran laps at all the possibilities.  
"POPULAR! POPULAR!! _POPULAR!!!_ "

He was practically a wave of positive emotion as his arms flailed wildly. Sans sighed contently, knowing what his brother  
would do next. As if on cue, Papyrus cleared his nonexistent throat and gave his full attention to the silent duo. "HUMAN!  
AND...ROCK...THING? YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN  
CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BOTH BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN...THEN!" Hesitance fluttered on his face.  
"I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT." It disappeared with renewed vigor. "IN ANY CASE. CONTINUE...ONLY IF YOU DARE!"

The tall skeleton's "NYEH HEH HEH" followed him as he ran farther down the path with spring in his step. Sans, the blue  
boy, and the kid, were all left in varying levels of silence and confusion.

__________

  
The silence after the tall skeleton's announcement was short lived as Sans chuckled heartily. He had his smiling skull  
towards where Papyrus had sprinted off to. " **well, that went well.** "

Frisk didn't need to eye Rock to know that he was clenching his fists. The robot relaxed his fingers before the comic had  
turned to face him and the child. " **don't sweat it, you two. i'll keep an eye socket out for ya.** " His wink seemed to make  
Rock's mouth twitch.

But again, the short skeleton promptly walked away behind a tree without another word. Frisk could see the building  
frustration within Rock's body language, and wished they could speak. But their small voice was weak from too much use,  
and it needed to rest. So instead they hugged his arm with a small sound of reassurance. It seemed to help him; he was  
already calming down again after he recollected himself.

"I'm sorry Frisk. I'm letting my anger get to me. I've got to focus on what's more important." Rock patted the child's head  
with his other hand. "Let's keep moving."

Rock didn't make another step, as a strange bird emerged from the bushes. It's face was the vague shape of a snow flake,  
its mouth filled with stubby teeth. It ruffled its feathers as it stepped forward, Frisk's SOUL emerging from their chest.

"Or we can have a random monster show up, I guess," Rock mumbled under his breath.

The bird cleared its throat, an adolescent masculinity emerging from it. "My favorite kind of cereal? Frosted."

Rock and Frisk's stunned silence seemed to deter the random emotional magic from the bird hitting either of them. The  
bird's eyes looked between them, nervousness in its body language.

"Were you...making a joke?" Rock asked.

"Yeah! That's right," the bird answered with some hidden pride. "Did you like it?"

"It was alright," Rock admitted. "But the delivery could use some work." The robot looked to see Frisk waving their left hand  
flat, a hushed "meh" from their lips.

"Yikes. Didn't expect such an icy reception," the bird huffed.

The child snorted. Rock breathed air through his nose with a small laugh. "Hey, that was better!"

"Really?" The bird smiled. "You laughed! I knew I could do it!"

The bird's emotional magic ended, Frisk's SOUL back in their body. Rock put a thumb to himself. "I'm Mega Man. That's  
Frisk. What's your name?"

"Snowdrake! Nice to meet you two. Glad you liked the jokes. I'm gonna keep practicing." Snowdrake smiled. "I'll see you  
around some time."

The bird fluttered his wings, gold pieces falling into the snow. He looked much more peppy as he hopped into the forest. A  
heartwarming smile appeared on Rock's face as he gathered the money to put in Frisk's pocket. "These monsters seem to  
be similar to the ones in the Ruins," the robot mused. "They get emotional, and their attacks are predictable to avoid. I don't  
think we're in real danger yet, Frisk."

The child made a pensive noise. "Flowey," they whispered.

"Don't worry. My guard is still up," Rock reassured. "For now, let's move."

__________

  
He had been smoking dog biscuits all day. He didn't really mean to, but today was just as uneventful as the other day. His  
sentry station was littered with burnt biscuit, the smell wafting outside of it. The black and white dog monster scratched  
underneath his pink sleeveless shirt in boredom.

The thought of smoking another biscuit crossed his mind until he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. His ears  
perked up on high alert, the footsteps stopping in front of his station. "Did someone move?" He asked, his head rising to  
the outside. "I can only see moving things."

The bipedal dog heard a sigh, before he saw a blue hand and a face materialize in his blurry vision. "Hey, just passing  
through. Hope you don't mind."

He squinted in suspicion. "Who're you?"

"I'm from the Ruins," the blue figure answered. "I had wanted to check out the rest of the Underground. Mind if I just move  
along?"

The bipedal dog puffed extra hard on his biscuit as he mulled over his decision. "Before you go, just wanna give the word  
out; there's a rumor that there's a human around. Be on the lookout and let me or the other Royal Guards know. My name's  
Doggo."

"A human, huh?" The blue figure seemed nonplussed. "If I have trouble with one, I'll let you know."

"Good. Be on your way--"

A sudden hand out of nowhere brushed against his arm, his eyes going wide. "I'VE BEEN PET!"

The blue blur zoomed ahead, a vague small blur in his arms. Doggo was too fascinated by the sudden petting. "PET?  
PAT? POT?"

He didn't notice they had gone. Or the fact that one of the blurs had asked, "You couldn't control yourself could you?"

He would need more dog biscuits after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Petting is addictive. But for the dog or the human? I'll never tell.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy my first try at attempting a large story. I will do my best to give you a good read every chapter.


End file.
